


Masks

by orphan_account



Category: Real Ghostbusters, Riptide (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-27
Updated: 2012-01-27
Packaged: 2017-10-30 05:33:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 34,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/328263
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>A Riptide/Real Ghostbusters crossover story.<br/></p><p>
  <span></span></p><div class="center">by Sheri Young</div>

<p></p>
<p>Originally published in Ouch 2</p>
<br/>
    </blockquote>





	Masks

**Author's Note:**

> A Riptide/Real Ghostbusters crossover story.  
> 
> 
> by Sheri Young
> 
> Originally published in Ouch 2
> 
>   
> 

** MASKS **

A Riptide/Real Ghostbusters crossover story.  


by Sheri Young

Originally published in Ouch 2

  


Cody Allen glanced through the small stack of mail he had picked up at the Pier 56 post office boxes as he walked with long casual strides towards the _Riptide_ , the boat which served as his home as well as the office of the Riptide Detective Agency.

"Murray!" he called out as he boarded.

"Yes, Cody?" a voice responded from below deck.

"I think that letter you've been waiting for came today, if you're interested," Cody informed him.

"Oh, really?" an anxious Dr. Murray Bozinski asked. "You mean from the Paranormal Conference Committee?"

"Yeah," Cody grinned. "That one."

"Oh, boss!" Murray exclaimed, bounding up the stairs to retrieve his mail. 

Murray was the brain power of the agency. What he lacked for in physical stature, he more than made up for with intelligence. At the Riptide Detective Agency, cases were solved by using Murray's computer skills in conjunction with the physical abilities and street smarts of Cody Allen and his best friend, Nick Ryder. 

"I wonder if there were any rooms available at the hotel where the conference is being held. They go so quickly, you know. It's in Oakland this year. Did I tell you that?"

"I believe you did," Cody smiled affectionately.

"Wow!" Murray gasped as he read his confirmation letter. "A room is available, Cody. I've got a room!"

"That's great, Murray," Cody said.

"Say, Cody, do you suppose that you and Nick would like to go? I mean, it is a very interesting topic, don't you agree? Besides, I received an e-mail from Egon Spengler, and he will be a keynote speaker. His friends are coming along, so you and Nick would be able to visit with Winston. I know how you enjoy trading war stories, and..."

"Wait a sec, Murray. Catch your breath, okay," Cody chuckled. "In the first place, although I might be willing to go out on a limb and say it's an interesting topic, I'm pretty sure we both know how Nick feels on the subject. Hmm. It would be nice to see Zed again. I'm just not sure Nick would be up for it... but it wouldn't hurt to ask now, would it?"

"If he says 'yes', will you go?" Murray asked hopefully.

"Listen, if he says ' _no_ ', I might still go. Even if some of the stuff those guys come up with is a little hard to believe, it is still interesting. Don't tell Nick, but it would be kind of fun."

"Gee, Cody, this is so boss!" Murray giggled. "I know we'll have a great time. I sure hope Nick will want to go, too."

"That would be nice, Murray. Just don't hold your breath, okay?"

"I understand," Murray said, coming back down to earth a little bit. "Where is he, anyway?"

"Annual check-up," Cody said.

"Oh," Murray said, nodding. "Is he feeling all right?"

"Says he is," Cody said, separating the junk mail and discarding it . "Strictly precautionary. Besides, it's mandatory if he wants to keep flying; and darn it, he wants to keep flying that damn thing!" Cody sighed, referring to Nick's beloved helicopter.

"Now, Cody, the _Screaming Mimi_ may be a little... temperamental... at times, but he does manage to keep it operational...

"Barely!"

"...and he is a good pilot."

"The best. You'd have to be to keep that hunk of junk in the air!"

"Hi, boys!" they heard their partner call out as he boarded the _Riptide_. "Did I hear someone using _Mimi_ 's name in vain?"

"Actually, I was just thinking that you _fly_ the _Mimi_ in vain," Cody grinned. "But you're persistent, I'll give you that. How did it go?"

"Fine," Nick said. "Dr. Lee gave me a clean bill of health. Did I get any mail?"

"Just bills," Cody said, pushing the stack Nick's way as he joined him at the table.

"Murray got something interesting, though. Why don't you tell Nick about your mail, Murray?"

"Oh, yeah? What did you get, Boz? A check, I hope."

"Well, actually, I just got confirmation on my room reservation at the hotel where the Annual Paranormal Conference is being held. It's in Oakland this year."

"Oh, that is interesting, Murray. Good for you," Nick said, studying a bill. "Didn't we pay this one already? I know I paid this one!"

"You remember Egon Spengler, don't you?" Murray persisted.

"Spengler? Yeah, sure," Nick said. "He was the normal one of those eggheads up in New York, right? Nice guy, a little stuffy, though. Why?"

"He's a featured speaker at the conference, Nick," Cody said with a twinkle in his eye.

"How nice," Nick said, slowly setting the mail aside and observing his partners. "I'm being set up here, aren't I?"

"Just think how much fun we'd have, Nick," Murray said.

"Zed's going to be there," Cody added calmly.

"Yeah? Well, I'm betting that... oh, hell, what's his name?"

"Peter Venkman?" Cody assisted innocently, knowing good and well where the conversation was heading.

"Yeah, his royal shrinkness! That's all I need!"

"I don't understand," a puzzled Murray said. "Why don't you like him, Nick? He seems perfectly nice, not to mention undeniably skilled in his profession."

"His royal shrinkness?" Cody mumbled.

"I don't know," Nick huffed defensively. "He's... well, he's just got such a BS attitude, you know? So holier than thou. I just get this uncomfortable feeling that he's studying me whenever I'm around him, and that he's thinking I'm way beneath him or something. Okay, so I didn't go to an Ivy League school. No offense, Code," he added quickly. "But that doesn't mean I'm a total zero, does it?"

"None taken," Cody assured him. "In all fairness, Nick, I don't think Venkman means to belittle you. Is it possible that you're reading more into it than is actually there?"

"Oh, great!" Nick said, raising his arms in frustration. "We only bring up the guy's name and you're starting to think shrink! Are you going to tell me that you don't notice that he always seems so... I don't know, so guarded. Like there's something boiling under the surface that he just closes off for some reason. I can't explain it, exactly; but it sure makes me nervous."

"Imagine that!" Cody sighed.

"Are you going?"

"Yeah, I think I might check it out--at least listen to Spengler's ditty. If it gets too far out, I'll just go check out the sights. I haven't been to Oakland in a long time."

"So you're going?" Nick asked again.

"Yeah," Cody repeated.

The main cabin grew quiet as Cody and Murray waited patiently for Nick to come to a decision.

"It would be nice to see Zed again."

"Uh-huh," Cody said nonchalantly.

"And it really has been a long time since we've been to Oakland."

"Yep," Murray agreed.

"Oh, all right," Nick gave in, just like they knew he would. "What the hell. Just don't expect me to sit in a lecture hall and listen to that fru-fru stuff all day, all right? Ain't gonna happen!"

"Oh, sure, Nick," Cody said, tongue-in-cheek. "We know."

"Boss!"

**** _two weeks later_ ****

"Gosh, Egon!" an anxious Ray exclaimed. "Aren't you nervous? How are you going to remember your speech when you're standing up there in front of this many people."

"Perhaps because I've done it countless times before, Ray," Egon explained patiently. "This occasion is no different. As for remembering my 'speech', I prefer to think of it as a discussion among colleagues. They are all just people, Ray, no different from any of us. Happily, we all share a common interest which will make for a much more delightful, gratifying experience."

"Oh."

"Compare it to attempting to carry on the same dialogue in Yankee Stadium prior to the start of a New York Yankees game in an arena filled with crazed sports fans who aren't fortunate enough to share our enthusiasm. Now _that_ would tend to make me somewhat apprehensive."

"Get serious, Egon!" Peter smirked. "It wouldn't make you apprehensive, it would drive you completely nuts. Imagine it, Ray, thousands upon thousands of dim bulbs listening to this well thought out dissertation and not having a clue. You'd be pulling your hair out in complete frustration, Spengs!"

"Where's Winston?" Egon asked with mild curiosity, referring to their friend and partner, Winston Zeddemore. 

"He's meeting Cody Allen and Nick Ryder for breakfast," Ray informed him.

"Talk about dim bulbs," Peter muttered.

"Really, Peter," Egon scolded. "I thought you'd gotten over that. Didn't the two of you come to some sort of peaceful denouement the last time our detective friends visited New York?"

"Peaceful who? Really, Egon, come down to earth and visit us once in a while, okay?" he said. 

"You understand perfectly well what I'm asking you, Peter," an unfazed Egon responded. "And you didn't answer my question."

"Okay, okay," Peter sighed. "Yeah, in a sense we came to a peaceful something-or-other."

He spotted a frown invading Egon's otherwise calm demeanor. "Don't worry, Egon. I wouldn't dream of being the dark cloud on your horizon. Enjoy the spotlight; it's all yours today. After all, publicity is never a bad thing, now is it? As for Nick Ryder, I'll simply resist the urge to do a little attitude adjusting." 

"My, I feel so assuaged," Egon said dryly.

"Maybe you should take something for that," Peter chuckled. "Okay, all right, you feel assuaged. As well you should, my friend," he grinned, clapping Egon on the back. "As well you should."

********

"So when do the ghost stories start?" Nick asked, spreading strawberry jam on his toast, then passing the jar over to Murray..

"Nick, you've gotta cool it with that, my brother," Winston sighed. "I know you're just kidding around, but not everybody will. Don't look now, but you are seriously outnumbered in this place."

Nick nodded, enjoying a bite of toast. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. I don't mean any disrespect, Zed. God knows, I've seen and done stuff I never would have imagined in a million years, but it's just so.... out there. You know what I'm saying?"

"Yeah, I know," Winston chuckled. "I've heard about some of the stuff you've seen and done, Fly Boy. M'man Cody told me about that rash you picked up in Da Nang after you spent that night with..."

"Cody, you told him about that?" Nick asked incredulously.

"Well, I might have mentioned it in passing when we were exchanging war stories in New York last year," Cody admitted with a barely suppressed grin. "You do remember it, don't you, Nicky? I've never seen you look so miserable and so pleased with yourself all at the same time."

Instead of getting angry, Nick broke out into a chuckle. "Yeah, let me tell you boys, that was some night. I couldn't walk straight for days." He took a sip of coffee and followed it with a sigh. "No regrets."

"Rash? What rash? What happened?" Murray asked.

"Never mind, Murray," Cody said, snickering.

"Don't worry, Zed," Nick said earnestly. "I have grown up at least a little bit since those days."

"Seriously, Nick," Winston said. "I've been in this skeptical place where you are. But you know something? If you've seen it and experienced it and know in your gut that it's real, and you _still_ deny it, well, now you're denying your own intelligence, aren't you?"

"Wouldn't be the first time," Nick countered.

"Or the last," Cody chuckled. "I know Nick is a little hard-nosed sometimes, Zed, but you have to admit that the ghost business goes against everything we were ever taught. It's a little hard to change philosophy that drastically overnight."

"Especially for us hard noses," Nick grinned at Cody. "Now Murray is much more flexible. Sometimes, I really envy him that ability he has to bend, you know, go with the flow. I guess that's just not my nature for some reason."

"Gee, thanks, Nick. What a nice thing to say--I think," Murray said. "Oh, I meant to ask you before I forget, Winston," he said, reaching under the table for a sack. "I got a few really boss looking t-shirts, and I was wondering if you think Egon would autograph this one?" he asked, lifting one of the shirts out of the bag. "Look, it has his picture on it," he giggled.

"I'm sure he'd be happy to, Murray," Winston assured him.

"When does Egon give his speech?" Cody asked.

"According to this handout, he goes on at 11:00, speaks for an hour and then there's a lunch break," Murray read. "But actually there are a couple other speakers before Egon that look like they might be interesting to listen to..."

"Oh, yeah, right, uh--huh," Nick said, faking a yawn. "Now first we'll discuss how Casper, Jacob Marley and Ichibod Crane met up with Patrick Swayze and they all discussed what Demi Moore is _really_ like."

"You never give an inch, do you?" Winston asked, shaking his head.

"You're completely right, Zed," Nick said, resting a hand on Winston's forearm. "I apologize. Cody, don't let me talk any more, okay?"

"That'll be the day, buddy," Cody said with a grin.

The men finished their breakfast in friendly conversation with Nick volunteering to pick up the tab. "It's the least I can do, Zed," he smiled at Winston, "for being such a hard-nosed, inflexible stubborn, opinionated, back in the dark ages pain in the ass.."

"Don't give yourself such a hard time, Nick," Winston said, slapping him on the back. "At least you're an honest pain in the ass. What I hate is the folks that smile at you and nod like they're behind you all the way... that is, until you leave the room. Then they giggle and talk about how nuts you are. Yeah, well, I bet they won't be laughing too much if someone comes a haunting at their front door."

"Good point," Cody nodded.

"Listen, guys, we'd better get going if we're going to make it for the first guest," Murray said, glancing at his watch.

"Oops! That's my cue to leave. Can I have the keys to the Jimmy, Code? I'm just going to drive around and check out some old haunts--no pun intended--until Spengler's lecture."

"Sure," Cody said, digging into his jeans' pocket. "Here you go."

"Thanks," Nick said, accepting the keys. "Enjoy, you guys. I'll be back before Egon starts. Anybody need me to pick up anything?"

After receiving a chorus of "no's", Nick left the restaurant and headed for the parking garage across the street from the hotel.

********

"What's the matter, Egon?" Peter asked, as he watched Egon gazing curiously around the hotel room.

"Peter, do you recall where I left the bottle of spring water? I was certain that I had brought it back to the room last evening."

"Well, actually..." Peter began, taking a quick glance around the room, himself. "I'm not sure I remember seeing it. I wonder if you left it someplace."

"Highly unlikely," Egon sighed.

"You don't see it, do you?" Peter grinned.

"All right," Egon conceded. "Apparently, I did leave it behind. That's most unfortunate. I have always found it quite refreshing to have it available when I'm lecturing."

"We can get you a pitcher of water and put it up on the podium," Ray suggested.

"Really, Ray," Egon said. "Tap water is hardly the same."

Peter rolled his eyes. "Tell you what, pal. I'll just run down to the store and pick up a bottle for you. Didn't we see a drug store just a few blocks away from here when we were coming in from the airport?"

"That's very kind of you, Peter," Egon grinned. "But I wouldn't want you to miss the discussion."

"No need to worry, pal," Peter assured him. "Wouldn't miss it for the world. I'll just take the car, and I'll be back in no time. So tell me, do you prefer a particular brand of yuppie water these days?"

Egon smiled at his friend. "No. I'm sure whatever you select will suffice. I really do appreciate it, Peter."

"No problem," Peter said, returning the smile. "You owe me, though, and I will collect. Do you have the keys?"

"They're on the table, Peter," Ray said.

"Great. I'll be back before you know it. Need anything, Ray?"

"Well, if you happen to see those orange cupcakes..."

"I'll keep an eye out," Peter assured him. He picked up the keys and left the hotel room, walking towards the parking structure across the street from the hotel.

********

Nick toyed with the keys, tossing them absently from one hand to the other as he waited impatiently for the elevator to take him to the basement level of the parking garage.

"Relax, don't worry. It'll get here eventually," came a condescending voice from behind him. 

Nick jumped at the unexpected company, then heaved a sigh at the realization that his worst nightmare had come true. Not only was the person he was least looking forward to seeing standing in front of him, they would be riding in an elevator together. Thankfully, it would only be a couple of floors at most, then they would both be going their separate ways. Okay, he could handle a minute or two of displeasure.

"How's it going, Venkman?"

"It started out okay," Peter said, deciding to leave it at that. He nodded toward the elevator door as it opened.

Nick motioned for him to go first, then followed him inside. "I'm a little surprised to see you bagging already," Nick teased. "I thought this was your cup of tea."

"I'm just running an errand for a friend, actually," Peter said. "Can I assume you're just plain running?" he added sarcastically.

"Assume whatever the hell you want," Nick snapped. Then he forced himself to settle down and added, "I was about to get bored. The handwriting was on the wall. I just thought I'd check out the sights before your friend starts talking spooks. If nothing else, it should be good for a few laughs to break up the monotony."

"I see," Peter said with forced calmness. He wanted to give Nick Ryder a good tongue thrashing, but knew darn good and well that the best way to irritate him would be to remain unaffected. "Why do I get the impression that it wouldn't take much?"

"There you go--you shrinks can never talk straight, can you? Everything out of your mouth ends with a raised eyebrow and a question mark."

"By the badly overused term 'shrink', I assume you're referring to a psychiatrist. I am a psychologist, _not_ a psychiatrist, bozo!" Venkman countered. "Of course, we are talking about words with several syllables, so let me help you out. That's p-s-y-c-h-o-l-o-g-I-s-t."

"Ah, so you do have a little fire in you after all," Nick grinned mischievously. "Yeah, well, maybe you're right, Doc. Maybe I only recognize smaller words. Here's one I recognize because I'm looking at it, and it only takes two teeny-weeny syllables for me to sum it up--asshole!"

"You know something? I haven't done anything more damaging to you then ride an elevator with you. You've got a real problem here, maybe you _do_ need to see a psychiatrist." He decided to add a finishing touch, knowing it would drive Nick Ryder to distraction. "Do you suppose?" he asked with an eyebrow raised.

Nick raised his hands in complete disgust and was just about to utter a colorful retort when the elevator doors mercifully opened. 

"So, will I be seeing you when it's time for Egon's speech?" Peter smiled innocently.

"Why not?" Nick muttered. "It looks like my day's pretty much shot to hell anyway."

"Tell me about it," Peter mumbled back.

They each walked to their own vehicles. Nick fumbled with his keys, all the more furious because Peter had the audacity to remain calm and steady throughout most of their encounter. He was just about to insert the key when a sudden strong jarring made him drop the keys to the ground and he fell against the vehicle's door. "What in the hell?" he muttered. He was totally unprepared for the next trembling, the force of which was strong enough to completely knock him backwards off his feet, his head contacting the concrete pillar beside the driver's side of the Jimmy before he fell in a heap onto the oil slicked pavement. The shaking lasted for nearly a minute longer, but Nick was totally unaware of it, nor was he aware of the parts of ceiling and walls collapsing all around him--or the nearby screams of Peter Venkman as part of a beam pinned him to the unyielding concrete.

********

Murray had just gotten Egon Spengler's autograph on his t-shirt when the trembling began. At first, he thought he was simply shaking due to the excitement of getting his shirt signed by a man he deeply respected. It was when he watched a water glass vibrating across a table, then shattering as it fell to the floor that he knew they were in trouble. 

He grabbed Egon's shoulders. "It's a quake!" he told him. "Get under the speaker's table. It looks sturdy!" he instructed firmly. He scanned the room quickly. "Cody?" he called out.

"Get down, Murray!" he heard Cody's voice above all the cries and scrambling of the other people in the room. "Stay down!"

He felt Egon's strong hands grabbing onto his arms and pulling him down into a crouch, and they were instantly joined by Winston, who hadn't been too far away. It was then that he spotted Cody, standing in the doorway, keeping a steadying hand on Ray's shoulder. Ray's eyes were wide with excitement. 

"It'll be all right," Murray assured the others.

Egon gave Murray a sincere smile, and he felt Winston's big burly hand giving him a reassuring pat on the back.

"You guys sort of take everything in stride, don't you?" Murray noted, keeping a hand on the table leg in an effort to steady it--and himself.

"We've seen a wide variety of what the layman would consider 'odd' occurrences in our business, Dr. Bozinski," Egon said. "An earthquake seems rather minor in comparison."

"What he's sayin' is that we would like everyone to _think_ we take everything in stride," Winston said, eyes darting around the room as he observed bits of plaster fell from the ceiling. He could see the worry in Ray's eyes. "Hang tough, m'man," he murmured, knowing Ray couldn't hear him from across the room.

When the shaking finally stopped, Cody waved his hand in front of his face, trying to get the dust of fallen debris away from him. He patted Ray on the back, receiving an optimistic smile in response. Coughing, he made sure Ray was in front of him in order to shield him from any falling debris and made his way past collapsed tables, broken glasses and light fixtures to get to Murray and the others.

"You all right, Boz?" he asked, kneeling down to Murray's side. 

Murray was already hard at work, having grabbed a handful of napkins from what used to be tables and using them as bandages and/or compresses to wounded hotel guests.

"Yeah, Cody," Murray assured him, without looking up from his task. "You okay?" 

"Yeah, that was a beaut!" he said, stubbornly wiping dust from his eyes. "Dr. Spengler?" 

"I'm fine, Cody," he responded. "Thank you for assisting Ray."

"No problem," Cody smiled, patting Ray's shoulder. 

"Winston! You're bleeding!" Ray exclaimed, looking at Winston's arm.

"Not to worry," Winston shrugged. "I'm afraid I just met up with a little flying glass, that's all."

"Well, let me take a look at that," Ray said, forcing Winston to sit on the floor along with the other injured guests.

Cody's face suddenly paled as he hurriedly scanned the room. Hoping his voice sounded calmer than he felt, he knelt next to Murray. "Mur, how long ago did Nick leave the hotel?"

"Not even two minutes," Murray said, hesitating from his ministrations long enough to lock eyes with Cody.

"I'm going to take a peek outside and see how it looks," Cody said, forcing a smile to the others. "Everybody stay put. If we get an aftershock, and you know we will, take cover. The hotel seems sturdy. It held up pretty well."

"Cody..."

"It's okay, Murray," Cody assured him. "These people need you. You're doing good work here."

"But..."

"Murray," he said, lowering his voice so only Murray could hear him. "I need to know where you are, all right? I'll find him, don't worry."

Murray nodded his agreement, wanting with all his might to go with him, but recognizing the wisdom in Cody's words.

"Stay right there, ma'am," he smiled to a woman with a cut to her knee. "Don't move. I'll come to you," he said calmly.

Cody watched Murray with pride before navigating the shattered glass, plaster and splintered wood to get to the exit.

Egon knelt beside Ray and Winston, placing a steadying hand on each man's shoulder. "I believe I'll join Cody and inspect the damage myself."

"You mean you're going to look for Peter, don't you, Egon?" Ray asked anxiously.

"I'm going with you," Winston announced.

"No, you're not," Egon said sternly. "You are probably in need of a couple stitches, Winston. Extensive use of your arm under these less than pristine conditions is probably not the wisest thing you could do at this point." He raised a hand to stop Winston's protestations. "Let Raymond take care of you, Winston. It's the appropriate thing to do."

*****

Cody stood outside the hotel and looked around in disbelief. There were street signs and trees down in every direction he looked. The sounds of fire engines, police cars and ambulance sirens filled the air. He gazed in horror at what used to be the parking structure. A few minutes earlier, it had been a five level lot. Now it was pancaked down to what looked like two levels. 

"Sweet Jesus!" he whispered.

"Oh no!" he heard from over his shoulder. He turned to find Egon standing directly behind him.

"Dr. Spengler," Cody said in surprise. "I think you should stay with your friends."

"And you should as well," Egon said.

"I... I need to look around. I'll be back soon," he tried to assure Egon.

"You need to find your friend, Nick," Egon wisely surmised. "And I need to find Peter."

"What? Where is he?"

"He left the hotel moments before the earthquake hit," Egon told him. "I'm certain he's still in the parking structure."

Cody sighed heavily. "Nick's in there, too," he said. "Look, Egon, I'm going in there to get Nick. I'll find Peter, too, and I'll bring them both back, okay? Why don't you go inside with the others?"

"For the same reason that you don't, Cody," Egon said, stubbornly refusing to give ground. "I have to find Peter... in the same way that you must find Nick, and I have the means to do it."

Cody studied him for a quick moment, saw the panic in his expressive eyes that betrayed his calm voice, and realized that they were, indeed, carrying the same fears, feeling the same need to do something. "Okay, you got me. How can you... never mind, let's go before we get caught. There's no way the cops would let us go in there. You can tell me about it once we've started."

"I agree," Egon concurred, as the two men approached the decimated parking structure.

"This doesn't look good," Cody said with an unsteady voice.

"We will find them, Cody," Egon assured him, gripping a small instrument off his belt pack.

"Yeah, we have to," a curious Cody agreed. "What in the hell is that?" 

"It is a PKE meter. You've seen it before, however, I'm not surprised that you have forgotten..."

"No, I remember it. But it detects ghosts, right, and Nick ain't no ghost."

"I'm not saying that he is... that either of them are... Cody, the meter can be adjusted to detect human biorhythm readings," he said, deftly fingering the controls. "The range is not very wide and there always exists the possibility of blockage due to the extensive debris, however I do have Peter's biorhythms on file, and..."

"And what?" Cody asked eagerly.

"I am picking up a ..." a slight frown was replaced by a hopeful grin. "I am picking up some fleeting blips. However, the readings are too faint to determine whether... Wait... There are at least three survivors in there."

"That's great!" Cody said, but then he asked fearfully "but you can't tell who..."

"Just a moment," Egon said, studying the PKE meter. "Cody, on what level did you park your vehicle?"

"Uh... basement. Yeah, the basement," Cody remembered. "I guess we got here kind of late. Why? Did you find them? Are they okay?"

"Cody, there are fatalities. I will have to take a wider reading which will enable us to expand the field. We must get closer." He stopped studying the PKE meter long enough to lock eyes with his counterpart. "The rental car that Peter was attempting to reach was on the basement level, as well."

"Well, my friend, what are we waiting for?" Cody said, grabbing a concrete block and leaning back to break it free from the pile of debris. "Let's do it."

********

For a moment, Nick couldn't recall where he was. His only conscious thought was that his head was splitting, the world was spinning and he wanted to get off long enough to find a bathroom and throw up. He dared to open his eyes and look around. He was still in the parking garage, although it was now unrecognizable. Then he remembered. Earthquake!

He wanted to lie there and pray that the world would hold still just long enough for Cody to find him and get him out of this place. Then he heard a sharp intake of breath, followed by a moan. Nick frowned, trying to collect his scrambled thoughts. _Cody_? No, Cody was with Murray in the hotel. They were fine, they had to be. If they weren't, surely he would have known. _Who?_ Again, he heard the moan, forcing him to focus and concentrate. Peter Venkman. He was the only other person on the basement level of the garage with him.

"Venkman?" he called out in a voice that somehow sounded far away to him. "Where are you?"

"I'm over here!" Peter responded, his own voice filled with pain.

"Where are you hurt?" Nick called out, trying to stabilize long enough to sit up. He knew there was no need to ask if Peter was all right--it was more than obvious that he was not.

"My leg," Peter told him. "I'm pinned under debris." He tried to shift, but stopped when a searing pain tore through his leg.

"It's okay, it's okay," Nick said, ignoring the throbbing in his own head and neck and willing himself to stand. "Just don't move, okay? I'll find you."

"Are you all right?" Venkman called out. "You sound even funnier than usual."

"Thanks for the concern, Sigmund," Nick scoffed, fighting vertigo and edging along by holding onto various beams and damaged vehicles. "I'm going to go against my better judgment and ask you to keep talking. My balance is a little off and it's not so easy to coordinate where the hell I'm going at the moment, so help me out here."

"You're asking me for help," Peter said, gritting his teeth as another wave of pain washed over him. "This might be worth it."

Nick shook his head, then realized instantly what a big mistake the gesture was. "Damn it!"

"What?" Peter asked. "What's the matter with you?"

"Never mind, I'm okay," Nick said, inching his way along. "Keep talking."

"It's too bad they don't have a back-up generator for the lights in this place. I mean, it is California, for goodness sake. These things can't come as a surprise."

"You have a point," Nick admitted. "Except that there wasn't much lighting in the first place. That's why we had to use headlights in here, remember? ....Headlights!"

"Yeah! Good idea," Peter encouraged, anticipating Nick's plan. "Can't believe you came up with it. Now, if you can find a car that's unlocked."

"I don't want you to think that I was ever into this in my younger days, Doc," Nick said, reaching into his jeans' pocket for his pocket knife. "But I'm not too worried about locked doors."

"Gee, what a surprise," Peter said, not bothering to tell Nick that he was beginning to lose feeling to his leg. "I don't want to hurry you, but I'm gonna lose it pretty soon. I'm getting tired..."

"Hang on, Doc, I've almost got it," Nick said, fiddling with the lock. "Oh, hell with it!" he said, kneeling down and searching the pavement with his fingers. He found a piece of splintered wood, picked it up and jammed it against the car window, causing it to shatter.

"Subtle," Peter said.

"I think this car window was damaged from the quake, don't you?" Nick said, reaching inside to turn on the headlights. "That's a little better. Talk to me, Sigmund."

"That's not fair! What can I call you? You have no talent that lends itself to a nickname. Not to worry. I'm sure I'll think of something."

"I'm sure of it, too," Nick said, blinking his eyes in an attempt to focus. 

"I see you," Peter said. "I'm about twenty feet or so to your left. Wow!"

"What?" Nick asked, carefully making his way towards Peter.

"You've got quite a gash on your head, guy," he said. "Didn't even notice it, did you?"

"No, not really," Nick said. "I'll worry about that later." 

"Okay, Scarlett. Just take it easy there. Looks like whatever's left of your brain might be leaking out."

"Oh, man!" Nick said as he reached Peter and slowly knelt down beside him. "It was bad enough when there was only one of you. Now I have to look at two!"

"You're seeing double?" 

"Very good, Doc. I can tell _you_ went to the University of Shrinkology."

"I can tell _you_ didn't!" Venkman retorted. "Would you please take it easy!"

"Looks like you've got yourself in a bind, Doc," Nick said, surveying the situation. "I've gotta find a way to get this stuff off of you."

"Like you're in any shape to do anything!"

"Do you see anybody else?" Nick said wryly. "By the way, did I mention that you don't have to keep talking now?"

"It's your fault, Ryder. You got me started. I'm talking and I can't shut up!"

"Okay," Nick said, choosing to ignore him. "Let's start with the small stuff." He picked up the smaller, easier to remove debris, removing it from the pile covering Venkman and tossing it aside.

"Move slowly, Ryder, or you're going to fall over," Venkman advised.

Nick grinned, in spite of himself. He stopped his work, kneeling over to shield the otherwise unprotected Venkman as a small aftershock made the already unsteady structure rumble ominously. "I don't know how slowly we can afford to move," Nick said. "There will be more of those coming, and you can take that to the bank. You're looking a little pale there, Sigmund. How bad?"

"I can't tell anymore. It's pretty numb," he confessed.

"Okay, just hang on," Nick encouraged. He continued clearing the rubble away until he got down to the beam which lay across Peter's left leg, effectively pinning the man to the concrete.

He knelt down, trying to keep his back straight, and wrapped his arms around the beam. He attempted to lift it but it moved less than an inch before his head started pounding, forcing him to ease the beam back down. Pressing the palms of his hands against his temples, he turned away from Peter, taking deep breaths trying to force the pain away.

He didn't see Peter clutching at the beam in agony at the change of pressure on his leg.

"Sorry," Nick said.

"It's all right," Peter managed to utter, somewhat surprised by the unnecessary apology. "We'll try it again. Just sit down, will you? Just for a minute anyway." 

Peter had surmised that Nick was suffering from a concussion. The fact that he didn't argue and simply sat himself down beside Peter confirmed that Nick was feeling pretty miserable, himself. " _Pretty gutsy_ ," Peter thought to himself. He swallowed down his own pain, which had increased tenfold when Nick had moved the beam, knowing that if Nick was aware of his increased discomfort, he would sacrifice his rest period and work again on removing the beam.

" _Pretty gutsy guy_ ," Nick thought to himself as he waited for the ringing to stop in his head. " _His leg must be killing him, if he can feel it at all_." His world was still spinning painfully around him when he declared to Peter that he was much better and was ready to continue.

"Okay, Siggy, let's see what we can find."

"What are you looking for?" Peter asked.

"A piece of wood, some sort of stick or metal, anything I can use as a lever," Nick announced, trying to blink away his vision problems.

"How big does it have to be?" Peter asked.

"I'm not too picky these days," Nick said. "Why?"

"I was just wondering about finding something in that car you broke into. Maybe there's something in the trunk?"

"You mean like a jack?" Nick shook his head--carefully. "No, that _is_ too small. We'll find something," he said, doing his best to look around.

"You can't see much, can you? Tell me," Peter instructed, any kidding gone from his voice.

"Actually, I see everything--too many times," Nick admitted. "It makes things a little difficult, to be sure."

"I can't move and you can't see," Peter said. "Wonderful."

"Yeah, I know," Nick said, working up a grin. "So what do you say, Shrinkman? Are you able to look around and see anything useful?"

Peter scanned the place hurriedly. Although the lighting was still dim, at least there _was_ some. "There's some sort of pole looking thing to your right, about six or seven paces. I'm not sure..."

"I'll check it out," Nick said. "Thanks."

He stayed on his hands and knees until he reached the object, testing it for sturdiness. "This just might do it," he said, throwing a grin Venkman's way. He dragged the pole back to the beam, and pushed the edge of it under the beam. "Do you think you'll be able to pull yourself out once I lift this thing? And don't just say 'yes' if that's not the case because that won't be helping, all right?"

"I never lie. What about you?" Peter asked, in an effort to give Nick a little rest before he attempted to raise the beam.

"Get serious," Nick said. "I'm asking because I don't know how much I'll be able to lift it, and I don't know if I'll be able to hold it up for very long."

"Are you going to be able to do this? The change in your blood pressure is going to make your head feel like it's going to explode."

"Later with that," Nick said. "Answer my question."

"Trust me, Scarlett. If you can lift that thing, I'll be moving."

"Good," Nick said, taking a deep breath and releasing it slowly. "Okay, on three, all right?"

"Go."

"One... two... three..." Nick put all of his weight against the lever, gritting his teeth with

the effort. Slowly but surely, the lever pushed the beam off of Peter's leg. Nick cried out as he felt a shooting pain going from the top of his head straight down his neck, but he kept on leaning against the lever.

Peter was shaking with agony as he felt the pressure change in his leg, but he knew he had little time to spare and leaning back against his elbows, he painfully inched backwards. After what felt to both of them like an eternity, he was finally able to pull his leg free.

"I'm clear! I'm clear!"

"You sure?" Nick asked hopefully.

"Yes! Drop it!"

Nick didn't have to be told twice. He took a step back to be sure he was clear of it and let go of the lever. It, along with the beam, crashed to the concrete with a loud bang.

"Are you all right, Sig?"

"I will be. What about you?"

"I'm fine," Nick said, and turning away from Peter, he knelt down to the ground and promptly threw up.

********

"This is a mess!" Cody said in exasperation. He picked up a huge piece of plaster and tossed it angrily aside.

"Which is precisely why we must proceed with extreme caution," Egon advised, more calmly picking up debris and maneuvering it out of the way. "Allowing ourselves to get emotional will only serve to slow us up. We must not delay."

"You don't understand. That's my best friend in there!" Cody said pointing to the tangled mess of a garage.

"Oh, but I do understand, Cody," Egon said, grabbing Cody by the shoulders. "Quite well."

Cody recognized the fear in the otherwise calm face. "I know you do. Peter is your Nick, isn't he?" he said softly, actually more to himself than to Egon. "I'm sorry. I'm just scared."

"I know," Egon said, loosening his grip. "As am I."

Cody worked up a smile for him and patted his arm. "Onward?"

"Indeed."

"What are you picking up on your little buddy, there?" Cody asked, nodding towards the PKE meter as he continued to dig away at the rubble.

Cody felt the ground begin to tremble just seconds before Egon and reached out an arm to brace him. "Hold on!" he cautioned.

"No!" Egon cried out as the two of them were thrown to the ground. Egon had lost his grip on the meter as he fell and proceeded to land on top of it.

Each man covered his head and waited for the shaking to stop before daring to sit up.

"Is it still working?" Cody asked.

Egon couldn't hide the trembling in his fingers as he checked the readings. "I'm not certain," he said nervously. "The readings are considerably weaker."

"Is it because the meter was damaged, or because..."

"I'm not sure," Egon admitted so softly that Cody had to strain to hear.

********

"Aren't we a pair?" Peter chuckled hoarsely.

"Who ever would have thunk it?" Nick said, after he finished emptying his stomach. "Give me just a second here, okay? Then I'll take a look at that leg of yours. Too bad you didn't get a degree that would be of some use. We could use a _real_ doctor right about now."

"I've already told you what kind of doctor you need, Ryder. What a strange coincidence that you ended up injuring that stubborn, thick head of yours."

"Gee, Sigmund, why didn't one of your spook pals--you know, Capt. Gregg or Capt. Hook or Capt. Cook or Capt. Kirk--oops, he's from the future, isn't he--you know, somebody or other, warn you that this is coming? I mean, isn't that the way it's supposed to work? Or didn't you plan ahead to bring any of your special effects with you?"

"Capt. Gregg and Kirk are fictional, you do know the difference, don't you? How can you--yes, even you--deny the existence of something, just because you don't understand it? Are you really that far gone? I suppose you don't believe there's life outside of this tiny little planet, either. Do you? Tell me this, Ryder, you do know that the earth is round, don't you? Or do we need to have a little talk?" He stopped his tirade as an intense burning pain momentarily overwhelmed him.

"Let me look at that," Nick said, making the switch from irritated hard nose to concerned comrade. Once again making use of his pocket knife, he made a small cut in Peter's slacks, returned the knife to his pocket and tore the pant leg from the cuff to just above the knee. "Sorry about that," he said sincerely.

"It's okay," Peter said. "Something tells me the best dry cleaner in the world couldn't have gotten all the stains out of these things."

Nick actually grinned at him, then returned his attention to Peter's left shin. "Amazing. I don't feel any breaks... but, man, you've got some serious swelling. It's pretty bruised up, too. You probably tore up some major ligaments in there. Must hurt like hell."

"Gee, ya think?"

"You tell me, Doc?" Nick snapped. "You're the one who always has the answers."

"Sorry, automatic reflex," Peter said. "Are you up to getting out of here?"

"Sure," Nick said, paying no attention to the trickle of blood oozing down the side of his face. "But I don't think you are. No way you can walk on that thing."

"I can if you help me," Peter said grudgingly.

"Did you just ask me for help?"

"Don't let it go to what's left of your head."

"No, excuse me, did you just ask me for help?"

"What's the matter, Ryder? Got blood in your ear?"

"I just want to make sure I heard it right. Just one more time, please, with feeling."

"Okay," Peter sighed in exasperation. "Gee, do you suppose you could help me? Preferably some time before this whole place collapses?"

"Oh, that felt good," Nick said, kneeling at Peter's side and trying to keep his back as straight as possible.

"Really, Ryder, I'll try to make it as easy as I can. I know that head of yours is giving you absolute fits, huh? I mean, your head gives me absolute fits, too."

"Oh, is that what's doing it?" Nick asked, as Peter slung an arm around Nick's shoulders. "Okay, here we go," Nick said, slowly easing Peter to his feet. "Just lean on me and keep your weight off that leg."

"Tell me about it," Peter moaned. "Hey, Ryder?"

"Yeah?"

"You're not going to puke on me or anything, are you?"

Nick snorted softly, adjusting his hold around Peter's waist. "Tell you what," he grinned. "I'll keep you posted."

"How comforting," Peter said, but he patted Nick's shoulder reassuringly with the hand already holding onto him for support.

Nick was stunned by the gesture, although he pretended not to notice as they continued working their way through the rubble.

"Watch out!" Peter said, tightening his grip. "You almost walked us into a Mercedes!"

"Sorry," Nick said apologetically. 

"It's all right," Peter grinned. "At least you picked a good car." Then he added more seriously, "You really are having a hard time seeing, aren't you?"

Nick hesitated before responding, dreading having to admit to the weakness in their present situation. Eventually, he realized it wouldn't do any good to keep it from him. Besides, he owed it to Peter, who had been surprisingly up front with him.

"Yeah, I am," he said, "and I'm afraid it's getting worse. Let's make a deal. I'll be your legs, you be my eyes. Can we handle it?"

"I think so," Peter agreed. "Besides, I've got prettier eyes."

"Really?" Nick said, with a grin moving them slowly along. "My mother always said I had the most beautiful eyes in the world. Said God worked overtime on 'em."

" _Ah, past tense_ ," Peter noted silently. "Moms always think like that," he said aloud.

"Anyway, I've got the better legs," Nick threw in.

"Like you would know! You can't see 'em."

"I've got a good memory."

"Uh-huh."

"You're shaking," Nick noted.

"It's cold."

"No, it's not," Nick said, looking around.

"You can't see worth anything. What do you think you're looking for?" Peter asked.

"Blanket, jacket, sweater, anything. Can you see inside the car windows?"

Peter looked at the vehicles, most of them badly damaged, until he spotted his own rental. "I almost hate to say this..."

"Go ahead. How bad can it get?"

"If you want to backtrack, I know Egon has a sweater in our rental."

"Well, it's something. Besides, we need to keep you as warm as possible."

"Wait!"

"What?"

"This van," Peter said, nudging Nick to one side. "There's a jacket draped over the driver's seat.

"Perfect," Nick said, taking a deep breath and exhaling in a rush. "I've got to rest for a second, sorry."

"No problem," Peter assured him. "Take it easy."

Nick leaned against the side of the van and closed his eyes. "See anything useful for breaking in?" he asked, rubbing his temples.

Peter glanced quickly, picking up a broken chunk of cement. "Gee, do I get to do it this time? Unlike you, this will be a new experience..."

"There's a part of me way down deep that doubts that for some reason, but feel free."

"Oh, shucks!" Peter said, tossing the cement aside.

"What's wrong?" Nick asked, forcing his eyes open.

"The door's not even locked."

"What a disappointment!" Nick scoffed. "What's in there?" he asked as Peter opened the door and peeked inside.

"Besides this jacket, which frankly isn't my color..."

"Didn't know you had one," Nick said.

"... there's half of a soda..."

"Bring it," Nick told him.

"It's warm and somebody else has already..."

"Bring it," Nick repeated. "What else?"

"Aye-aye, General Patton, sir. Let me see..."

"Pick a branch of the military and stick with it, Venkman. You're mixing your metaphors here and it's making me dizzier than I already am."

"Because of my never ending compassion, I'm not gonna touch that line, much as I'd love to," Peter said. "Oh, here's a flashlight," he said, rummaging through the glove compartment. "I know--bring it. Okay... there's a couple cough drops. Yuck, they're not even cherry flavored..." He hesitated, feeling Nick begin to shudder as he held onto him. "Ryder," he said calmly. "If you could just sit me in the driver's seat here, I'll be able to check this van out a little better. I mean, a little companionship goes a long way. I don't want you to get the wrong impression."

"Thank God," Nick said as he eased Peter onto the seat. "I was beginning to feel like velcro or something."

Peter smiled softly--a gesture which he knew Nick was unable to pick out clearly. "Why don't you sit down for a minute while I see what we've got. I'll give you a running inventory and you can play soldier as much as you want."

"Gee, thanks," Nick sighed. But he did lean back against the van and allow himself to sink to the ground and rest his aching head in his hands. 

"This must be a family van, there's a car seat in the back," Peter noted.

"How nice."

"Don't scoff," Peter said, suppressing a shiver. "They left us a pack of those diaper wipe things. Gee, maybe if they left a diaper, I can put it over your head and pretend it's a bandage."

"Or we could stuff it in your mouth," Nick countered. 

"Bingo!"

"What?" Nick asked, turning to look up at Peter, a move which he instantly regretted and caused him to clutch at his head.

"Careful there, guy. You're fine, remember?" Peter said. "I actually found a bottle of rubbing alcohol--must be a small baby. Anyway, I can clean that wound of yours."

"Where's the jacket?" Nick asked.

"Right here," Peter said, lifting it off the driver's seat.

"Put it on," Nick insisted.

"I'm not really cold anymore," Peter confessed. "In fact, it's kind of warm in here."

"Just put it on," Nick pleaded. 

"Okay, okay," Peter said, giving in and slipping on the rust colored suede jacket. "I can't believe anybody would pay money for this."

"Quit grumbling," Nick said. "We've got to keep moving."

"Not until I look at your ugly head," Peter said. "Come here."

Nick staggered slightly as he stood and would have fallen right back down if not for Peter's sturdy grip to his bicep. Peter gritted his teeth to keep from crying out as the act of catching Nick brought with it an inadvertent and unwelcome shift of his leg. 

"Let me see it," he said forcing his voice to remain steady. 

Nick wasn't looking forward to having his throbbing head touched and prodded by anybody, especially not Peter Venkman. But he saw the wisdom in getting it disinfected as much as possible, so he reluctantly stood before the psychologist and allowed him to manipulate his scalp.

"Geez, be careful!" Nick complained, pulling away when Peter got too close to a sore spot.

"Sorry."

"Uh-oh."

"What?"

"Man, your hair is really thinning out around the forehead, isn't it?" Peter gasped.

"Oh, for God's sake," Nick said, self-consciously touching his hairline. "It is not."

"Relax, relax, I'm just kidding... sort of. Got your mind off of it for a second there, didn't I?" Peter chuckled, as he gently moved Nick's hair out of the way to inspect the gash. "Yep, it's getting a little juicy in there. I'm going to pour a little alcohol on it." He opened the bottle and held it near the wound. "Tilt your head back. Here, lean against the van and then tilt... there," he said as Nick complied. "Remember not to kill the messenger, okay?"

"Don't tempt me," Nick said. "Go ahead."

Nick fought the urge to collapse to the ground as the alcohol came in contact with the open wound on his scalp. He stubbornly stood his ground with jaw muscles flinching, but he never cried out.

"You don't happen to have a needle and thread, do you?" Peter asked, holding one of the wipes against Nick's scalp.

"Very funny," Nick said. "It'll be fine. Let's get going."

"Wait," Peter said, reaching behind him in the van. "Here's a sweater. I think it's an XX- large, so it might be kind of big on you, and God knows you never wear anything unless it shows off your muscles; but I have a feeling you should wear it anyway."

"Whatever," Nick said, accepting the sweater and quickly pulling it over his head. "Come on," he said, extending his hands to Venkman.

"Okay, but before we become joined at the hip again, how's your stomach? I mean, you're not gonna..."

"I will if you keep bringing it up, Sigmund. You know, shrinkology 101--the power of suggestion?"

Peter took hold of Nick's hands, and permitted himself to be lifted from the driver's seat of the van. "Okay, wait," he instructed, as he felt Nick's sturdy hand wrap around his waist. "Can you hold the soda cup in your free hand there?"

"Yeah," Nick said, reaching out. "Hand it over."

"Here," Peter acknowledged, placing the cup in his hand. "I've got the diaper wipes, and the flashlight's in the jacket pocket, okay?"

"Gotcha," Nick said. "Put your arm around my shoulders, okay?"

"Okay," Peter said, draping his arm across Nick's shoulders and leaning into him for support. He couldn't suppress an outcry when he unintentionally put weight on the injured leg as he attempted to balance.

"Take it easy," Nick said comfortingly, feeling Peter's fingers digging into his shoulder. "I'm sorry, I'm probably trying to hurry you too much. Let's just take our time, okay?"

"Nice of you to say, General, but I wasn't born yesterday," Peter said, grimacing against the pain. "I know why you want us to keep moving. You really do think this place could go at any time, don't you?"

"There you go again, ending damn near every sentence with a question mark," Nick said quietly.

"It's the truth, isn't it?" Peter asked.

"Come on," Nick said, ushering Peter slowly along. "Use the flashlight. Let me know if we're walking into trouble."

"Just tell me," Peter said evenly. "Nick!"

Nick stopped long enough to try to focus on Peter's face. "Yeah, Doc, I think it could go at any time. I'm sure you've felt the little rumbles that come and go. This place isn't stable in the first place. These aftershocks aren't helping the situation any."

"I agree," Peter said, taking a long look at the broken-up ceiling over their heads. "Do you think the hotel fared better?" he wondered quietly.

"Yes," Nick said without hesitation. "It had to. Don't worry, Doc. They're okay."

"You sound like you know that for a fact," Peter said, patting Nick's stomach to steer him a little to the left to avoid debris. 

"I do."

"Yeah," Peter nodded. "I think you're right." He chuckled quietly.

"What?"

Peter started to reply, but stopped to cough, waving at dust that hung in the air like a shroud.

"Here, take a sip," Nick offered, holding the cup up to Peter's mouth.

"Thanks," Peter said, sipping through the straw, then pushing the cup back towards Nick. "If I know Egon, and I do, he's right outside this pit figuring out a way to get in."

"Yeah, well, Cody's with him then," Nick said.

"Brains working with brawn," Peter said. "What a concept."

"Hey, Cody's got brains," Nick scoffed. "Maybe not like Egon Spengler, but..."

"I wasn't referring to them," Peter grinned.

********

"Be careful, Cody!" Egon said, bracing himself as he felt yet another aftershock. He reached out an arm to grab Cody as he began to lose his footing on the loose rubble beneath him.

"Thanks," Cody said. "Did you hear the sirens outside?" he asked, kneeling to dig out a loose stone and toss it out of their way. "Watch it, Egon, there's a sharp pipe sticking out to the side there," he cautioned, pointing to Egon's right.

"Yes, I did hear them," Egon said, sidestepping the object Cody had pointed out. "I am certain that the rescue workers will be in here soon. If they see us..."

"They'll make us leave," Cody finished for him. "No can do. I'm not leaving here without Nick."

"Nor I without Peter," Egon said determinedly. "He is my best friend, Cody."

Cody hesitated just long enough to glance at Egon and see the deep concern etched in his features. "I know how you feel," he said, reaching over to rest a hand on Egon's shoulder. "We'll find them."

Egon smiled at Cody's kindness, then got knelt down on his knees. "Please, let me help you with that one," he offered, gripping one end of a wooden beam with his hands. "I believe it will take both of us to lift it."

********

"Hold on!" Nick exclaimed, clutching Peter tightly to keep him stable as they rode out another aftershock.

"How can I not, you're practically bisecting me!" Venkman gasped.

"I could let go if you prefer!" Nick shouted.

"No, that won't be necessary," Peter replied. 

"Damn it!" Nick said, as bits of plaster fell over them.

"Straight ahead," Peter said. "There's a pick-up. You've heard nothing's built like a Ford? Well, I think it's time to test it out."

"You're right," Nick said, inching them along. "This place is gonna go."

"I can go faster, Nick."

"Okay," he said, picking up the pace even though he knew it must be agonizing for Peter.

"Stop!" Peter said. "It's right here. Now, get down!" He pushed at Nick's waist until Nick could feel the truck for himself. Nick lowered him to the ground and knelt beside him. The two of them remained scrunched up against the truck as an enormous reverberation was followed by what seemed to be layer after layer of debris as the remaining parking structure collapsed around them.

********

"No!" Cody cried as he felt the structure begin to give way beneath his feet.

"Peter!" he heard Egon gasp.

After what seemed to be an eternity but in actuality was less than a minute, the rumbling stopped and the two struggled to catch their breath amidst a huge cloud of dust.

"Are you all right?" a shaken Egon asked, brushing rubbish off of himself and helping Cody to his feet.

"Fine," Cody said, spitting out dust. "You?"

"Unharmed," Egon informed him. "Cody... what...?"

"We keep going," a determined Cody said, ignoring the trembling in his voice.

"Cody..."

"They're fine!" Cody snapped. "They're fine," he repeated, his voice softening.

Egon merely nodded, determined to play along with Cody's pretense, knowing all to well that Cody felt just as devastated as he did. His fingers worked the P.K.E. meter, but his sigh didn't give Cody the immediate answer he was looking for.

"Well?" he asked.

"Inconclusive. But..." he said slowly, scratching his head.

"But what? Come on, Egon," Cody pleaded impatiently.

"There is still a chance..."

"That's enough for me," Cody said. Egon's fleeting smile and the slap he gave Cody's arm told him that they were in complete agreement.

The two of them began their task anew.

********

"Sig! Are you okay?" a concerned Nick asked.

"Yeah," Peter said, daring to open his eyes and look around. "I have a feeling that there's not much left to cave in anymore."

"I know what you mean," Nick agreed. "How bad does it look?"

"Do you really want to know?" Peter wondered.

"Come on, Shrinkman," Nick said, rubbing his eyes. "I wouldn't have asked if I didn't, right?"

"Let me put it to you this way, General," Peter said with a sigh. "I don't think you have to worry about hauling me around anymore, and you should be glad that you can't see that great right now."

"We're stuck," Nick surmised.

"My, how perceptive," Peter said, grimacing as he moved his leg to a more comfortable position. "Did you get that from your mother or your father?"

Nick grinned half-heartedly, leaning back against the banged up truck. "If it's good, I got it from my mother."

"Oh," Peter said nonchalantly, wondering if Nick realized that he'd just made an oops. _His dad's a scum-sucking, bottom-fishing dirtbag_ , he thought to himself.

"We're working with a smaller area now, aren't we?" Nick asked. "The air's getting a little stale."

"That's one way of putting it," Peter said. "I hope Cody had good insurance on his car."

"Are you kidding?" Nick said, rubbing at the back of his neck. "With the things we've done to our vehicles over the years, it's an absolute necessity."

"Hey, that was pretty good!" Peter said.

"What?"

"That was a lot of syllables for you. I'm proud!"

"Wow, that makes my day complete," Nick scoffed. "We have to find a way out."

"Well, you'd better get out that pocket knife and start digging then," Peter said.

"You're not giving up, are you, Siggy?" Nick asked, carefully feeling his way around.

"Watch it!" Peter warned, grabbing Nick by his jeans' belt loop and pulling him back. 

"What now?"

"You were about to crack open the other side of your head, you fool!" he said. "There's garbage scattered all over the place now--beams, rocks, wood, parts of cars, pipes, wires, you name it."

"I think you pretty much just did," Nick said. "But thanks, anyway."

"Any time. In answer to your question--no, I'm not 'giving up'. Actually, I'm trying to conserve air by not wasting time and energy by trying to move a mountain."

"Is that a shrinkism for saying you just want to sit here and let yourself suffocate in this hole?"

"Please, Ryder, will you stop being so darned self-righteous for just a second!" Peter exclaimed. "Bottom line--I can't walk. You can't see. Not well enough to function usefully, anyway. You've got a concussion--you do know that, right? You've been worrying about shock--that's why I'm wearing this hideous excuse for a jacket, and you look like little Nicky Ryder wearing Daddy's sweater." He stopped his tirade when he saw a flash of pain briefly cross Nick's face. "Sorry," he said more quietly. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"About what?"

"About your dad."

"Are you out of your frickin' mind?" Nick snapped defensively. "Look at us, man! Look at where we are! Do you think we have time for psychobabble right now? And even if we did, do you think there's a snowball's chance in hell that I'd want to tell _you_ anything?"

"Well, actually, we do have the time, and a snowball sounds really inviting at the moment, but suit yourself. Incidentally, the offer was not professional, just think of me as someone to talk to in lieu of.... oh, say this piece of plaster," he said, picking up the object and tossing it aimlessly. "Sure, it doesn't talk back much, but it doesn't offer any solutions, either."

"Venkman, you drive me crazy!" an exasperated Nick sighed.

"Ain't it great?" Peter said with a smirk.

"You've been insane longer than me so..."

"Hardly."

"...you tell me."

"Oh, my God!" Peter gasped.

"What?" 

"General, I see a hand in that mountain of garbage!" he said, pointing. "We've got to help! Come on!"

Nick stood as quickly as his head would allow, and pulled Peter to his feet. "Show me," he encouraged.

Peter edged Nick forward another fifteen yards, being careful to lead him around the scattered mess on the pavement, then patted his side motioning for him to stop. "Right here," he said. "Hurry!"

Nick lowered Peter to the ground and knelt beside him, feeling for the hand that Peter already had in his grasp. "The pulse is weak," Peter said. "We've got to move fast."

"Okay," Nick said, hurriedly removing items from the stack on top of the victim. Peter did what he could from the ground, silently cursing his leg for continuously holding him back. He knew this person was in real serious trouble, just as he knew that Nick was really in no condition to be doing the work that he was forced to do. Peter sighed, determined to do whatever he could from the ground level. He felt his heart skip a beat when he heard a quiet moan.

"Did you hear that?" he asked.

"Yeah," Nick said, moving all the faster to free the person from the rubble. 

"You're almost there, Nick," Peter said, able to assist Nick more now that most of the debris had been removed.

After what seemed like hours, but was in actuality only a minute or two, the man was freed.

"Thank you!" the man gasped loudly. "Thank you!"

"Any time," Nick said. "Listen, maybe you shouldn't talk right now. Just take some nice deep breaths, okay?"

Peter felt the man's pulse and quickly looked him over to size up his condition.

"I'm gonna die, aren't I?" the man gasped, panic evident in his eyes.

"No way, man!" Nick said, firmly. "Help is on the way. People are looking for us right now, and it won't be much longer. Just hang in there!"

Peter gripped Nick's forearm, smiling down at the man. "Just relax. My friend here is right. Help is on the way. Hey, what's your name?"

Nick could tell by the tight grasp Peter had on him that the man wasn't going to make it. Peter was finding a way to let Nick know without saying it aloud. Nick turned his head and looked away briefly, allowing him a moment to collect himself.

"Deke. Deke Kelly," the man moaned.

Nick's snapped back to attention, his eyes opened wide in astonishment as he heard the name, a reaction which was quickly noted by Dr. Peter Venkman.

"Nice deep breaths, okay?" Peter said soothingly. "That's good." He noted the wedding ring on the man's left ring finger. "What's your wife's name?"

"Donna," the man gasped.

"I'll bet she's real pretty," Peter said gently. "That's it. Nice relaxing breaths. Kids?"

Venkman's comment actually brought a smile to the suffering man's face. "A son, Lee, 12 years old."

"That's great," Peter said. "You're a lucky man. Nice and easy, now."

Nick held onto Deke's right hand, knowing there was little else he could do at this point as Peter continued to comfort the man. He found himself speechless as he watched how effortlessly Peter helped the man get through his pain by deftly focusing his attention on the love of his family.

"I bet Donna made a beautiful bride, Deke, and I bet she's a terrific mom to Lee, too," Peter said softly. "Just keep taking those breaths, Deke."

Deke Kelly still had the smile on his face when Nick felt his hand slip loose from his grasp and he breathed his last breath. Nick gently rested Deke's hand across his chest as Peter's fingertips closed Deke's eyes for the final time.

Nick crossed himself with head bowed and was surprised to hear a Hail Mary coming from Peter.

********

"Oh no!" Egon uttered softly as he studied the P.K.E. meter.

"What happened?" Cody asked, wiping the sweat off his brow with the back of his hand.

"The P.K.E. meter has sustained some damage. If it's still accurate, we are now down to two survivors. Someone just died."

Cody froze at the news and looking over Egon's shoulder, he studied the meter as if he could understand it, wanting to ask if there could be a mistake but unable to get the words out.

When Egon finally pulled his eyes away from the meter and looked up, one set of reddened eyes met another. "I can't tell," Egon replied to the unspoken question. "The readings are too vague at this point. The damage to..."

Cody fell to his knees and tore into the insurmountable looking pile in front of him, determined to get through and get to Nick. Egon was right beside him, just as desperate to get to Peter. 

********

"Egon and Cody and the others are going to find us," Peter said, trying to bolster their obviously deflated spirits.

"I know," Nick said, finally resigning himself to the fact that they were trapped and there was nothing they could do about it. "I know."

"You okay, Captain?" Peter asked, watching with disbelief as Nick's eyes filled with tears and he suspiciously licked at his lips to keep them steady. How could such a jerk be so compassionate?

"Other than the fact that I seem to have gone down in rank, yeah," Nick shrugged him off. Then he thought better of it. "A twelve-year old boy just lost his father. A wife just became a widow. How many others are there in this place? For that matter, what does the city look like?"

"Let's tackle one question at a time, okay, Skipper?" 

"That's Navy, I was Army," Nick threw in.

"You live on a boat, don't you?" Peter said. "Anyway," he began before Nick could get a word in. "I obviously can't speak for the city. As for this lot, it was pretty much empty when we got here. Didn't you think? I mean, most people were already in the hotel waiting for the speakers to start, or at breakfast or whatever. As for Deke..."

"Yeah?" Nick encouraged quietly.

"It won't mean anything right away, of course, but someday, his wife and son will find comfort in the fact that he died thinking about how much he loved them. In a sense, they were with him in his final moments, and it was peaceful. I'll talk about it with them when we get out of here. And we _will_ get out of here."

Nick actually grinned at him, although Peter wasn't sure if he realized he was doing it. "You've got some set of balls on you, you know that Doc? The things you said to him... well, that was good stuff."

"Well, gee, thanks, General," Peter said dryly. That's one compliment I don't believe I've ever had inscribed on any of my plaques or awards, but hey, I'll take what I can get. What do you think, should we cover him or something?"

"Just with this, maybe," Nick said, removing the oversized sweater Peter had confiscated for him. He gently laid it across Deke's body, covering his face. "We're not going to bury him, if that's what you meant. He was covered in this garbage pit long enough. Besides, we're taking him out of here eventually so his family won't wonder... well, you know."

"Yeah, I know," Peter nodded. "So, who was your Deke?"

Nick looked at him sharply. "Go to hell!" he snapped.

"I think we're pretty much already there," Venkman shrugged.

********

"How's that arm doing?" Murray asked Winston, as Ray continued to fuss with the bandages.

"It's doing just fine," Winston replied, emphasizing the words for Ray's benefit. "Now let's get outa here and go help our buddies find Egon and Nick."

"Yeah!" Ray chipped in. "We've got to do something! We can't just sit here and do nothing."

"They specifically asked us to stay here," Murray noted, not sure if he was trying to convince the others or himself. "Cody's going to be mad if I..."

"But like Ray's trying to say, everything's under control here," Winston argued. "The rescue workers are in charge. Murray, Egon and Cody might need our help more."

"Besides," Ray said. "I'm going nuts just waiting here. Peter needs our help! If he didn't, he and Egon would be back here by now. I know they would. And Nick and Cody would be back, too, if they could be. You know that's true, Murray."

"All right, all right," Murray finally agreed. "Let's go."

The three men walked determinedly to the exit and out of the hotel, each stopping short when they got their first look at the collapsed parking structure.

"Wow!" Ray gasped.

Murray remained silent for a moment, before issuing a quiet, "Let's go".

They didn't get near the rubble before a police officer blocked their path. "Just where do you think you're going?" he asked.

"We have friends in there!" Winston informed him.

"Sorry, but there's no way I'm gonna let you go one step further. It's too dangerous."

"But..." Murray began.

"Nope. Uh-uh. There are rescue workers in there already. They'll find anybody who's in there, all right? Now step back."

Murray sighed in exasperation, realizing he had no alternative but to wait it out.

********

"The hotel looked like it was built really well, didn't you think?" Peter asked softly.

"Don't you even go there, man!" Nick said, and for the first time, Peter heard his voice crack. "They're fine, okay? They're just fine!"

"You've been pals for a long time, haven't you?"

"Yeah," Nick said, sinking back against the Ford. "A long time."

"That's right. Winston said you met up in Vietnam?"

"Uh-huh," Nick replied absently. "Are we really just gonna sit here?"

"We don't have much choice. They'll find us. You're not much into waiting for things to happen, are you?"

Nick grinned half-heartedly. "I guess not. Never have been. You know something, Doc? Now that we're not going anywhere, you should probably elevate that leg."

"I'm okay."

"Yeah, right," Nick said, groping around for debris to use as a makeshift pillow. "Here," he said, lifting Peter's leg despite his feeble protests and resting it on top of the pile.

"Thanks," Peter said. "At least if we suffocate, we will have died medically correct."

"We're not going to die," Nick said, his voice now lacking the enthusiasm to match his words.

"I know that. I was just trying to add a little humor..."

"Very little."

"Your turn," Peter said unfazed.

"For what?" Nick asked skeptically.

"To be medically correct. Have alcohol, will cause pain," he said, reaching into his pocket for the bottle. "I have a hunch this last little collapse might have dirtied up your little owie. Give me your head!"

Being too tired to argue, Nick bent forward in Peter's direction and held his breath while allowing his wound to be tended to.

"Damn it!" Nick said, his eyes watering. "You enjoy that, don't you?"

Peter twisted the cap back on the bottle and dropped it into the jacket pocket. "No, Nick," he said with surprising candor. "No, I don't."

"Did the soda make it?" Nick asked.

Peter checked the contents of the cup. "Well, it's not exactly sanitary, but it's wet. I don't think I want any. Here, you can have it."

"No, thanks," Nick said, once again sinking back against the truck. "You already had some, it's got your cooties on it."

"What's the matter, General? Afraid some intelligence might work it's way in?"

"You know, I've had it up to here with that crap!" Nick said, sitting up straighter and facing Peter. "Maybe I don't have half of the alphabet following my name to show off all the fancy degrees like you do, but I'm not brain dead, okay? I actually have to use a little intelligence to fly a helicopter, you know. I... damn it!" he swore, clutching at his head.

"Hey, don't get yourself in a lather," Peter said, reaching out to steady his companion. "Well, actually, it is fun to watch you get yourself going, but not to the point where you're going to rupture something. What does Cody do about it when you start to get rabid, huh?"

That caused Nick to chuckle, taking all the bite out of his anger. "Depends," he admitted. "Sometimes he clears a wide path, other times he puts a muzzle on me." He paused for a moment as if suddenly puzzled. "Somehow, he always knows which way to go."

"I know what you mean," Peter said, eyes softening fondly. "Egon's like that with me. Can I ask you something?"

"Like I could stop you?"

"You had some rocky times, didn't you?"

"You're not having some sort of shrink attack, are you, Dr. Brothers?" Nick scoffed.

"Nope," Peter shrugged. "Just curious."

"Well, in the interest of getting you off my back, yeah... when I was younger," Nick said thoughtfully, surprised at his own admission. "Not so much any more, though. With the exception of being stuck in here with you, everything's great. What made you ask?"

"I thought I recognized the signs."

"From all of your other subjects?" Nick asked defensively.

"Huh-uh. From myself." It was Peter's turn to be surprised by his openness. 

"You're not serious!" Nick said in wonder. "No offense, but you act like you grew up in a real cush-cush type of world. What happened? Didn't make it onto the rugby team in your senior year?"

"No," Peter said, feeling more comfortable by shutting the door. "I didn't make the rugby team."

Nick heard unmistakable pain in Venkman's voice, and knew it had nothing to do with his battered leg. Working at keeping his own defenses up, he chose not to speak, but he did reach out and rest a comforting hand on Venkman's arm. If only he could have seen the appreciative smile he received in response.

********

"I believe our efforts would be more effective if we worked in an assembly line fashion," Egon said forcefully. "We are working in a narrower space at this point, and we are only slowing ourselves down in our desperate attempts to keep out of each other's way."

Cody stopped only long enough to wipe stubborn dust out of his reddened eyes as he weighed Egon's words. He had quickly learned that he had seriously underestimated Egon's physical stamina. Egon stood toe-to-toe with Cody in his efforts to rescue Peter and Nick, and he held his own most effectively. Cody realized that he had branded Egon with the unfair stereotype of being an intelligent individual who wore glasses and who must therefore be an 80 pound weakling. He grateful he was to have been so wrong.

"Good idea," Cody said. "You've got the lead, Egon."

"All right," Egon said, forcing a stubborn piece of broken concrete to give way and handing it to Cody behind him to discard.

"Be careful," Cody cautioned.

"I am, thank you, Cody," Egon said with a cough. "But we must proceed with haste. They may be running out of air."

"I've thought of that, too," Cody confessed. "I was just too scared to say it."

Egon didn't stop his work, but it didn't keep him from admiring Cody's ability to express so openly the same fears that he was fighting to keep hidden. "Cody?"

"What?"

"Do you mind if I ask you something?" he said, turning to hand Cody a twisted metal fragment. "Be careful of the edges."

"Thanks. What?"

"You and Nick are so close. Yet, from all indications I've seen, in many ways you are diametric opposites. I sometimes find it curious that the friendship remains so strong."

Cody had to smile even as he was wiping dust away from his cheek with the other hand. "That's probably why it does. We balance each other."

"Ah, yes. I do understand that. I believe that Peter and I experience the same type of relationship in many respects."

"I bet," Cody said, helping Egon move a long pole. "Nick is...he's a lot of things I'm not--he's never afraid to say exactly what he feels, and he can be brash. What's fascinating is...well, he's been known to experience a whole myriad of emotions in the span of a day, you know. He's a pretty emotional guy. You might have seen him when he's angry or moody, but he's also the most compassionate guy I've ever met. A lot of people don't realize that."

"I think I understand," Egon said thoughtfully.

"I don't know what I'll do if--well, you know," Cody sighed. "Nick is--"

"It's as if he's the other half of you?" Egon finished. "I know. I understand the feeling. We will find them."

"Here," Cody said, reaching for a piece of cement from Egon. "You do understand, don't you?"

"Yes," Egon said, handing him the cement block. "When I was young, I was...strongly encouraged to excel in my educational and scientific endeavors. As a result, I'm afraid I didn't have much opportunity to--as Peter would say--'experience life'. I also felt rather isolated from the rest of the world. I met Peter at Columbia. Peter was my window to the world, I imagine. He gave that 'life' to me. I'm sure that must sound rather odd."

"Not at all," Cody smiled. "Strange, isn't it?"

"What do you mean?" Egon asked as he dug around a block to loosen it.

"There are those who would think that you and I are among the privileged. You know, never wanting for anything. But without that--gee, who would you call that--touch of childhood, maybe? The kid that doesn't quite want to grow up...? That these friends bring into our lives--we'd be nothing."

"Exactly," Egon nodded. "We'd be nothing."

********

A sharp nudge in the ribs made Nick sit up with a start. "What? What happened?"

"You're not falling asleep on me, are you?" Venkman asked, trying to mask the concern in his voice.

"No, no, of course not," Nick lied, forcing himself to sit up straighter. 

"Why don't you tell me about Cody?" Peter asked as he watched Nick's eyelids begin to droop once again.

"Huh?"

"Well, I wouldn't want you to tell me about yourself, General," Peter quipped. "That would put _both_ of us to sleep. I just thought maybe you'd like to talk about Cody."

Nick rubbed at his temples, struggling to focus his thoughts.

"Nick, you have to stay awake," Peter said bluntly. "Tell me about Cody."

"He's everything I'm not," Nick said without reservation. "He's warm, affectionate, mild mannered, easy to get along with... you know. He really cares about people." He took a quick swipe across noticeably moistened eyes. 

"The black sheep always needs someone like that in his life," Peter said quietly.

"It shows, huh?" 

"Uh-huh."

Nick looked at the two Peters in front of him while realization hit. "You were a black sheep, too!"

"I don't know," Venkman said with a sad grin. "Maybe I was a case of guilt by association."

"Huh?"

"My dad was _the_ black sheep," Peter admitted, curious to see if it would open the door for Nick.

"Oh," Nick said quietly.

" _Not quite ready yet. Okay_ ," Peter thought silently. "Just so you know, I didn't grow up privileged. I worked my way to what I am."

"That took work?"

"You bet it did! I would never have made it to Columbia without the help of scholarships. So just maybe you don't have a corner on the 'woe is me' market. Ever think of that?" 

"Sorry, Shrinkman, I didn't realize," Nick said honestly. "I guess it's 'woe is we' then, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess.... Well, no! We're doing just fine now!"

"Oh, yeah," Nick said, sinking lower against the truck. "Just great."

"Where would you be without Cody?"

"Dead," Nick said. "Where would you be without Spengler?"

"Dead," Peter admitted. "So where are we now?"

"Next to dead," Nick said. 

"You're obnoxious!"

"I know," Nick said. "Ain't it great?"

"Yeah, it is kind of handy sometimes."

The two of them looked at each other, and oddly enough, erupted into laughter.

********

"The readings are getting weaker, Cody," Egon said, tapping the P.K.E. meter.

"What does that mean?" Cody said, continuing to dig away. "Does that mean your gizmo is fading away or is it the guys that are getting weaker?"

"I'm not certain," Egon said. "As I said before, the meter has sustained some damage..."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Cody said. "I know. Sorry I keep asking stupid questions," he said with a weary sigh. "I know I'm asking you to give me answers that you just don't have."

"Please don't apologize, Cody," Egon said, tucking the meter onto his belt. "I'm feeling rather helpless myself at this moment. The best thing for us to do now is to continue digging."

"I hear you," Cody said, ignoring his bleeding fingers as he proceeded.

********

"Sheila's," Nick said with a wistful sigh.

"Sheila's? Is that some beach babe that serves you breakfast in bed? Or is that fine dining fare on the waterfront on... oh, say... Redondo Beach?"

"Heck no!" Nick scoffed. "Actually, she's more your type, Shrinkman."

"What does that mean?"

"She's brilliant, you know--the industrious type. Although, unlike you, she has a great sense of humor--and even more importantly, she owns a little pizza joint in King Harbor. The best pizza you'll ever taste in your entire life. Any kind of topping you want on it, too. And the cheese, mmm!"

"Pizza, eh? Well, that is the perfect food, you know. All four food groups on one..."

"I thought that was bananas," Nick said. "Then again, I won't argue with you on that one."

"How refreshing," Peter said, rubbing at his leg. "Are you actually hungry?"

"No," Nick said. "Just tired. You?"

"Getting that way," Peter confessed. "But we mustn't sleep."

"You're not going to start running off with that verbiage of the mouth bit of yours, are you?"

"Verbiage of the mouth?" Peter grinned.

"Oh, God, did I really say that? You and your egghead pals are starting to rub off on me!"

"Lord have mercy," Peter said wryly.

"How's the leg?" Nick asked.

"Probably feels about as good as your head," Peter said.

"Oh, sorry about that."

"You and me, both."

"Know something, Sig?"

"A lot more than you. What?"

"I've gotta get us out of here," Nick said. "It's getting harder to breathe."

"That's very noble, Major," Peter said. "But what do you intend to do?"

"Start digging with my hands, if I have to. Just pick a direction and tell me where to go."

"Oh, the temptation..." Peter muttered. "Well, for one thing, you have to stoop a little bit when you stand up, we've got less ceiling space than we used to. If you forget to do that, well.... then your head is going to be in worse shape than it already is, got it?"

"Got it," Nick said as he stood, bending slightly at the waist.

"You okay, Admiral?" Peter asked as Nick automatically rested his fingertips against his temples.

"I'm fine. Now where?"

"Turn about forty degrees to your left, then straight ahead maybe ten paces. Better bend down a little more, though. Be careful of..."

He didn't get to finish his sentence before Nick stumbled over debris on the ground and ended up face down just inches in front of a "wall" of debris.

"... what's on the ground," Peter finished sheepishly.

"Don't worry about it," Nick said. "At least I'm here." He rested on his knees, carefully feeling the wall in an attempt to see just what he was dealing with.

"Are you still seeing double?" Peter asked seriously.

"Yeah," Nick said, rubbing his eyes. "But it's okay. My hands are working." Once he scoped out his surroundings with his fingertips, he carefully began tugging away, removing what obstacles he could. It was a slow and painful process. His throbbing head didn't help him much, and more than once he grabbed onto something unexpectedly sharp or jagged. It wasn't long before blood from his fingers and knuckles made grasping difficult.

"Take a break," Peter cautioned. 

"Are we making any headway at all?" Nick asked hopefully.

"I think so," Peter encouraged as he looked at the dent Nick had made in their wall of debris. "But you need to rest. You look beat." 

"If I tell you something, you won't give me a hard time, will ya?" Nick asked, sitting with his legs crossed in front of him and resting his elbows on his knees.

Peter opened his mouth prepared to give Nick a clever retort, closed it after giving it a second thought, then opened it once again. "No, I promise," he said earnestly. 

"If I stop to rest, Doc, I'm afraid I won't get up again," Nick admitted. "I'm scared to stop. My head's getting worse, Doc. The pressure is driving me nuts--and please don't say it!" he begged, anticipating the come back.

"I won't," Peter said with a sad smile. "Can I tell you something?"

"I haven't been able to stop you yet."

"That takes a lot of guts for someone like you."

"What does?" Nick asked, rubbing his temples.

"To say that you're scared. That's pretty cool."

"Oh, yeah? Well, you wouldn't believe just how cool I am right about now," Nick said, working up an unconvincing grin. "Okay, what was I doing?"

"You were resting."

"Oh, yeah."

"You having trouble focusing?" Peter asked after a careful scrutiny of Nick's face.

"Hello! I told you, I'm seeing double."

"No, sorry," Peter said, shaking his head. "I mean focusing your thoughts."

"No. What?"

"Never mind," Peter sighed. "What rank were you, anyway?" he asked, doing his utmost to sound nonchalant. 

"Captain. Still am, actually," Nick said. "Reserves," he added, answering Peter's unasked question.

"Oh, I didn't realize."

"Why'd you ask?"

"Well, you mentioned flying a chopper and that it required a little know-how. I was just wondering how hard could it be? I mean, it's just like driving a stick, right?" 

"Something like that," Nick said with a wistful grin.

"Come on, Mr. Know-it-all. Why don't you tell me? I really am interested." Peter could detect a slight slurring in Nick's speech and was concerned that he would, indeed, allow himself to fall into a dangerous slumber unless Peter found a way to keep his mind sharp.

"Okay, okay. Let me see... this is going to be a real simplified version, Shrinkman."

"I would have expected nothing less," Peter teased.

"Your left hand holds onto the collective. You move it up or down to control the pitch in the main rotor blades."

"That's the big ones on top?" Peter asked innocently.

"Yeah... the big ones."

Nick had worked his way back to the wall and began digging once again. "Your left hand also controls the twist-grip throttle."

"Which does what?"

"Controls the engine's RPM," Nick responded, pausing to wipe his brow. "You know, adds juice. Revs it up. Your right hand controls the cyclic. That's the thing that looks like the stick, Siggy," he grinned as he tossed aside a concrete block. "It controls the movement of the rotor plane and the direction of the bird. Your feet," he said, groaning as he struggled with a larger block, "rest on the two pedals controlling the pitch in the tail rotor."

"The little..."

"Yes," Nick sighed. "The little ones in the back."

"Wow! That sounds pretty complicated," Peter marveled. "How in the world did you manage it?"

"Makes you wonder, doesn't it?" Nick chuckled. "And guess what? I've never needed any of your little ghostees to help me fly her, either."

"Don't be so sure," Peter said under his breath.

"What about you? What's so damned tough about your job? Besides the fact that nobody believes you for a second."

"First of all, that's a bunch of crap! Second, try hauling a 50 pound proton pack on your back. Then try climbing a couple dozen flights of stairs with the thing strapped on."

"You're kidding?" Nick chuckled. "Did you ever consider using an elevator?"

"That's not always an option, bonehead! Then, after climbing all that way, try arguing with a supernatural power that usually doesn't want to cooperate--at all. And, then..."

"Ouch! Damn it!" Nick cursed, shaking his hand. 

"What did you do?" Peter asked.

"Oh, I found a nail or something. Damn!"

"Let me see it," Peter said.

"No, it's all right," Nick said, shaking it off. "I've got to get us out of here."

********

"What is it?" Egon asked, wondering what had caused Cody to stop digging. 

"Sorry, I guess I got a cramp in my hand," Cody said, shaking his hand. 

"I'm not surprised," Egon said, stopping long enough to wipe a layer of dust off of his glasses. "We haven't paused for a moment's rest."

"We can't afford to," Cody said as he continued with his work. "Although, at this point even if we get caught, it's a little late to send us back."

"I agree," Egon said, forcing a pipe into a small crack in an effort to pry loose some of the rubble. "It would no longer be advantageous to send us back. Cody, would it be possible for you to pull this rock away once I have lifted the pillar with the pipe? It seems to leave a fraction of an opening."

"That's all I need," Cody said. "Go for it."

With Egon's help, Cody managed to clear away a substantial amount of rubbish. With the newly created opening, both men began to feel encouraged. 

"Anything on gizmo?" Cody asked.

Egon checked the P.K.E. meter, carefully studying the data displayed. "Hmm," he said, scratching his chin.

"Is that a good 'hmm'?"

"I'm beginning to get a stronger reading," Egon informed him. "The readings indicate two bodies--alive. I'm not certain if it's just a blip due to the damage the meter sustained, or..."

"Or if maybe we're getting closer?" Cody asked eagerly.

"Possibly," Egon replied looking directly into Cody's eyes. He saw the hope there and knew that it was mirrored in his own eyes.

They dared to exchange optimistic smiles and started digging all the faster, suddenly not feeling the pain in their battered hands.

********

"Sarge?"

"Yeah, what is it?"

"The flashlight's starting to go."

"That's great," an exasperated Nick muttered. "Just what we needed."

"You're not going to be able to work much longer," Peter said quietly.

"Why not? At least if everything's black I won't have to worry about seeing in duplicate, right?"

"That's true, but I won't be able to steer you clear of trouble, either. It's going to be too dangerous, Cap. And don't try to pull another Scarlett on me, either. We can't just 'worry about that later'. Later is now." As if on cue, the beam from the flashlight chose that moment to die out completely.

"So now what?" Peter sighed.

"I think I can keep going," Nick said. The next rock he decided to pull out turned out to be a bad choice. When it came out, several more that had been stacked around it came out with it, bombarding Nick in the process.

"Nick!"

"I'm all right," Nick said, disgusted with himself. "What are a couple more bruises among friends."

"This isn't going to work."

"Please don't make me agree with you, okay. I've already done that a couple times today, and it only makes my head hurt worse."

Peter had to grin in spite of himself, and it suddenly dawned on him that Nick had an interesting way of making that happen. He was beginning to suspect that it was intentional--perhaps sometimes to lighten the mood and perhaps sometimes to draw attention away from himself. It fascinated him to find out he wasn't the only one who practiced psychology. Peter chuckled. He knew it would drive Nick nuts to realize just how easily Peter could read certain aspects of the not quite so carefully concealed emotions.

"Did any of that land on your head?" Peter asked.

"No," Nick assured him. "Shoulders and back mostly. But nothing's hurt, I promise. Just a little banged up, okay? So relax, Cody. I'm fine. Think of it this way--it may not have been the smartest way..."

"That's a given." Venkman ignored the slip, well aware that Cody was on Nick's mind--just as he was wondering about Egon.

"...but at least it created a bigger opening. Maybe I should try to move you up a bit. I don't want to lose track of you."

"Thanks, Private."

"Private! Okay, so I pulled out the wrong rock! Do I have to be demoted all the way down to private?" Nick grinned weakly, the fatigue evident in his voice as he crawled in the dark to get back to Venkman.

"Drink some of this?" Peter said, offering the warm flat soda to him once he'd reached his side. 

"No, thanks."

"You're dehydrating, Ryder. I know it looks awful, but drink it anyway," he insisted.

"Do you always have to sound so calm, even at a time like this?" Nick asked, reluctantly taking a gulp of the nasty drink. 

"It's a facade," Peter deadpanned. "Take another swallow."

"I don't think so," Nick informed him. "That last one is driving my stomach crazy, and you've made it perfectly clear how you feel about that. How's the leg?"

"I can't feel it anymore," Peter sighed.

"I'm not surprised," Nick said, carefully prodding the injured leg. "Man, that swelling has really gotten worse. Why didn't you say something?"

"You were busy with other things. Besides, what is there for you to do? I mean, I know you can move mountains and all that, but you're not a doctor."

Nick gently removed his hands from Peter's leg. "I know. Here's a secret for you--I can't really move mountains, either."

"Oh, I bet some people think you can," Peter said with a grin. "Winston said you and Cody were highly decorated. Quite the war heroes."

Nick smiled at the compliment. "Cody's amazing," he said tenderly.

"I'm sure he is," Peter said quietly.

"Man, I'm beat," Nick said, finding his former leaning spot against what was left of the Ford truck. 

"Stay awake," Peter instructed, but some of the firmness had left his voice.

"What for?"

"For Cody. For your family."

"Cody and Murray _are_ my family," Nick corrected, not even attempting to prop his eyes open.

"I guess you're a lucky man, then," Peter said, his own eyes beginning to feel like they had sandbags on top of them. "They're good people."

"Yep."

"General?"

"Uh-huh?"

"How come your dad left?"

"I don't know," Nick said simply. "Maybe he needed a new punching bag."

Peter's eyes snapped open in surprise, but he forced himself to remain low key. Nick had made an incredible admission, and Peter could tell by the ease with which he'd said it that he wasn't even aware of what he'd just done. The concussion, or the fatigue, maybe the dehydration, or a combination of all of the above had undoubtedly lowered that tough defensive armor. Peter carefully weighed his options, calculating as best as he could--since he, too, was physically suffering--the best way to proceed. He wanted to keep Nick just on edge enough to keep him awake, yet without taking advantage of Nick's vulnerability.

"When?"

"It was right around Christmas when I was just a kid," Nick said, stifling a yawn.

"Ah," Peter said nodding in sympathy. "So you're probably no more excited about Christmas than I am."

"Why? What's _your_ problem?"

"I kept getting empty promises," Peter confided. "And for a long time, I believed them. I was the kid staring out the window, waiting and waiting for the car to pull up. It took a long time for me to realize that it probably wasn't going to."

"Oh," Nick said quietly. "When was the last time you heard from him?"

"A couple months ago. He calls now and then. Every once in a while I see him."

"You're kidding?"

"No," Peter said. "I know he's a con artist, and I know he's not exactly reliable, but I guess he is still my dad."

"Yeah, that's true," Nick said pensively.

"You still care about your dad, too."

"Why would you say a stupid thing like that?" Nick said, sitting up a little straighter.

"Because, my dear General, if you didn't, it wouldn't hurt so much. That's okay," Peter said, holding up a hand to stop the anticipated forthcoming tirade. "I know the feeling."

********

"Ah!" Egon exclaimed, as a cement block he had grabbed slipped and fell on his foot.

"Are you okay?" Cody asked, covering a cough.

"Yes, I'm fine," Egon said, pushing the block out of the way with his other foot.

"Why don't we switch places for a while, Egon," Cody offered. "You've been up front for a long time. Let me do the digging for a while and hand back to you. It'll give you a chance to rest your back a bit."

"Thanks," Egon said, quickly wiping his glasses on his shirt tail. "Do you believe we're making any progress?" he asked as he surveyed the destruction surrounding them.

"Of course we are," Cody assured him with a pat on the back. "We'll find them."

Egon nodded as he took his position behind Cody. "Do you suppose they could be together?"

"If they are," Cody grinned, lifting debris and pushing it back towards Egon, "then we know what's causing the aftershocks."

"Undoubtedly," Egon said. "Peter can be quite stubborn."

He knew by Cody's quiet chuckle that he was thinking the same thing about Nick. "Every rare once in a while, I wonder if we're not talking about the same guy," he said fondly.

"I know two gentlemen who would like to give you a swift kick for that comment," Egon said, reaching over to take another handful from Cody.

"Right at this moment, I'd be happy to let them both kick away."

********

"Hey, Shrinkman?" Nick asked in a mumble. It took him a while to realize he didn't receive a response as his own eyes closed in a comfortable doze. Somehow it eventually dawned on him that this wasn't right. "Peter?" He forced himself to sit up and reached over to grab Venkman by the shoulder to give him a hearty shake. "Peter?"

"Hmm?" Venkman said drowsily. "What?"

"Wake up, man! You scared me half to death! Geez!" a clearly concerned Nick complained.

"Sorry," Peter slurred. "I was just thinking."

"Yeah, I could tell," Nick scoffed.

"Did something happen?" Peter asked, forcing himself awake.

"No," Nick sighed. "No, nothing's changed."

"Oh," Peter said softly. "I'm really having a hard time staying awake. You?"

"No, of course not. We shouldn't sleep, so I won't," Nick lied.

"Simple as that, huh, Major?" Peter forced his eyes open long enough to take a hard look at his companion. He had to grin in spite of himself. Peter had the benefit of clear vision, as opposed to Nick, but he didn't need it to see that Nick was struggling every bit as much as he was in an effort to stay awake.

"Simple as that," Nick insisted. "Why don't you take a drink. Maybe that'll help you."

"It'll help me get food poisoning, maybe."

"Hey! You made _me_ drink that stuff!" Nick huffed.

"Oh, yeah, that's right. I did, didn't I?" Peter grinned, suddenly aware that this exchange was giving both of them a second wind.

The efforts were taking their toll. Peter could hear the wheezing in Nick's voice now, and he could feel the pressure in his own lungs, but he decided the little outburst was worth it if it kept them awake for a few minutes more.

"How does your stomach feel?"

"Like hell," Nick admitted. Once again he offered the disgusting drink to Peter.

"Because of your head? Or because of the drink?" Peter wondered aloud, avoiding the cup at all costs.

"How the hell would I know? Nick exploded, knowing he was being egged on. "Probably because of you!"

"I think because of your head," Peter concluded, finally giving in and taking a sip of the soda. "Then again..." he grimaced.

"Nasty, isn't it?" Nick said.

"Yeah, nasty," Peter agreed.

They sat quietly for a few minutes, their labored breathing the only sounds to be heard.

"Nick?" Peter said, sitting a little straighter when he didn't get an immediate response.

"What?" Nick eventually responded.

"Just checking," Peter admitted.

"Okay." Nick was sure he should have said something a little more clever, but he just didn't have the energy anymore.

Another couple silent minutes went by. The sounds from every creak of splintered wood, the drip, drip, drip coming from broken pipes, the settling of every loose pebble echoed around them as the struggled for each breath.

"He was a friend from high school," Nick said, breaking the stillness. "A good friend."

"Who was?" Peter asked curiously.

"Deke. Not... not this Deke. I don't mean..."

"I know what you mean," Peter said serenely. "Tell me about him?"

"Why? So you can practice your shrinkisms on me?" Raw emotion was evident in his voice. "What's the matter, Sig? One last couch treatment for the road?"

"How about because I'm just interested. Is that such a stretch, Lt. Paranoia?" Peter said in an attempt to toughen Nick up enough to help him continue. "You're the one who brought it up."

"Yeah, I guess I did. Sorry." 

Peter noticed Nick's speech was getting slower and softer--but then, he could probably say the same for himself. "It's all right."

"He was killed a few years ago."

"I'm sorry. Accident?"

"It's no big deal," Nick shrugged him off.

"Nick, losing a friend _is_ a big deal," Peter said as firmly as his deflated voice would allow. "But I'm sure you didn't let it fester so I know you're okay with it now."

"I tried like a son of a bitch to let it fester, but Cody sort of wouldn't let me." The memory forced a chuckle from him.

"You're feeling a little loopy right now, aren't you, Skipper?" Peter asked with a thinly veiled attempt at nonchalance.

"No, I'm fine," Nick said, his chin slumping against his chest.

"Yeah, I know you are," Peter said. "Say goodnight, Gracie."

"I'm not going to sleep," Nick said groggily.

"I never thought it for a second," Peter sighed. "Maybe I should pour more alcohol on your head. That'll wake you up real fast, and..."

"Wait!" Nick said, holding up his hand as if Peter could see it in the darkness.

"What? What's the matter with..."

"Will you just shut up for just a second!" Nick hissed. "Listen!"

Peter strained to hear, unsure of what he was listening for. "I don't hear anything. It's probably that hole in your head that's.... wait! I hear it, too!"

Nick squeezed his eyes shut, feeling as though his heart was pounding louder than the clanking he could hear getting closer and closer to their unintentional hideaway. _Hang on, Venkman. Just hang on_ , he thought to himself. _Cody, we're right here. Please don't give up on us._

"Just hang on, Ryder," Peter said. "Come on, Egon. I know you're there."

********

"Cody!" Egon said so excitedly that it caused Cody to jump.

"What?" 

"I'm getting a stronger reading! It's Peter! I _know_ it is!"

Cody could see a drastic change in Egon's eyes, now bright and wide with exuberance, but he found himself afraid to believe what it could mean.

"How can you be sure?" Cody asked.

"I'm picking up his readings now. I don't know if the meter is fully operational, but these readings are definitely Peter. And he's _alive_!"

"Is... is he alone? Are you... is there anyone..."

"I am getting a signal of another life form in the area," Egon said, grasping Cody's arm. "But I don't have Nick's readings programmed and..."

"I know, you can't tell for sure," Cody said. "He's with him, Egon," he said, his bloodied hands digging with renewed fervor. "He has to be. They were in the same area at the same time, and..."

"Right. We're close, Cody, we're very close," Egon said, not informing Cody that the meter had also indicated the location of weak, fading residuals that indicated a deceased body.

"Egon, check this out," Cody said, as he dug at a mound of soil. Each time he pulled away a pile a dirt, it immediately filled itself back in with a different clicking type of noise.

"It's hollow," Egon concluded happily. "There's an opening."

"And it doesn't sound small," Cody agreed. The two of them worked side by side, pushing debris out of their way faster and faster until it finally stopped filling in right after them and they broke through into an opening. 

********

"I have to find a way to help them," Nick said hoarsely. He crawled back to his former work space and called out "Cody! Cody, we're here!"

"They're never going to hear you, Sarge," Peter said, shaking his head. "You've lost the ability to bluster. Must be frustrating."

"At the moment, yes, very," Nick confessed. 

"Wait a second!" Peter listened carefully. "Nick, they're coming from over here. You guys aren't working in the same area!"

Nick determinedly crawled back to Peter's side. "I can't think straight. I know that's an open invitation, but belay that for now. Just point me."

Peter reached out for Nick's shoulders and aimed him as best he could towards the sound. "Go get 'em, Rover!"

Nick crawled several more paces before he stopped to clutch at his head. "Not now, damn it!" he spat.

"What!"

"I can't..."

"Yes, you can. Move it, Captain! Now!" Peter hoped it sounded at least a bit like an order. _God! There's nothing left in here to breathe_!

Nick forced himself to continue the remaining distance and stopped when his outstretched fingers came into contact with a solid formation. "Okay, okay," he gasped. "I can hear it, Peter. Cody!"

********

"We're through!" Egon shouted. "Peter!"

"Oh, God!" Cody gasped, seeing an outstretched arm, partially covered by debris. He recognized the watch--an earlier birthday gift Murray had given to Nick. "Nick!"

With Peter's help, Cody cleared away the debris away that covered his dearest friend. "Nick? Can you hear me? Buddy?" Cody pleaded anxiously, reaching an arm behind Nick's shoulders to lift him high enough to rest his neck against Cody's forearm.

"Hi," Nick said softly. He tried to smile up at his friend, but couldn't come up with the necessary energy. 

Cody laughed, a healthy laugh that was mixed with tears of relief. "Hi, yourself," he said. "You okay?" The little bit of light that the Allen and Spengler tunnel afforded them wasn't much, but it was enough to see the wicked gash on Nick's head. "Buddy, are you okay?" 

"I'm fine," Nick said in a near whisper.

"Sure you are," Cody said, gripping Nick's shoulders tightly. 

"Is Egon Spengler with you?" Nick asked.

"Yes," Egon responded anxiously.

"Venkman..."

"Where is he?" Egon asked anxiously. 

"He's here. I'm not sure which direction..." Nick said honestly, a comment which caused a raised eyebrow from Cody. 

"Peter?" Egon called out. "Peter, where are you?"

"He's probably out," Nick said. "Running out of air... He's by a Ford pickup."

"Egon?"

Egon found it suddenly difficult to swallow past the lump in his throat. It was the voice he would recognize anywhere, but it sounded so tired, so weak. He stumbled through the tangled mess of pipes, wires and concrete to arrive at Peter's side, kneeling down to tenderly grasp a weary shoulder. "Are you all right?" he asked fearfully.

"Yeah, it's not so bad," Peter said. "But, boy, am I glad to see you! I was beginning to think..."

"No," Egon stopped him. "We knew we would find you." It was then that Egon noticed that Venkman's leg had been purposely elevated. "Peter, your leg! What on earth..."

"Actually, it's what _under_ earth, and a _lot_ of it," Peter said hoarsely. "I got caught between a concrete pillar and a hard place."

"How bad is it?"

"I don't think it's broken," Peter assured him. "Don't look so worried, pal. Everything's going to be okay... now."

"Let me help you."

"Thanks. Do you think we could get out of here, Spengs? Frankly, I think Ryder could really use a shower. He really worked up a sweat, and I can tell. I mean, the air is getting a little stale, wouldn't you agree?"

"Of course, Peter," Egon said, slipping an arm around Peter's shoulders and carefully helping him to stand. "If you lean against me, will you be able to move?"

"Sure," Peter said. Nobody else but Egon would have been able to detect the slight crack in Peter's voice. 

"It's truly wonderful to see you, Peter," Egon said, slipping his free arm around Peter and giving him a grateful hug. Peter reciprocated with what little energy he had remaining.

"You really were worried, weren't you?" Peter said.

"Of course I was. We all were," Egon scolded. "Come on. We must get you out of here and to a hospital."

Peter leaned heavily against Egon, unable to put any weight on the injured leg. They moved slowly, Egon taking care to make sure Peter didn't stumble along the way.

"Hey, Corporal, you were right," Peter said between gasps as they reached Nick, who was propped up and leaning against Cody's chest. "The cavalry made it here after all."

"Jackass!" Nick muttered with a smile.

"Are you all right?" Venkman asked.

"I'm fine," Nick sighed.

"Of course you are!" Peter teased. "Then get on your feet, Miss O'Hara. The TV cameras are probably waiting for us."

"Oh, goody," Nick sneered, but he motioned to Cody that he was ready to move.

"Are you sure?" Cody asked defensively.

"Yeah," Nick said. "Just don't go too far, okay?"

"Not a chance," Cody assured him. "I'm not letting you out of my sight."

"Thanks," Nick smiled. "This place is dancing on me a little bit."

"I've gotcha," Cody returned the grin, hoping Nick didn't hear the concern in his voice as he glanced one more time at Nick's wound. "What all is affected?"

"We'll worry about that later, okay?" Nick said, resting his hand on Cody's back and urging them forward as they followed Peter and Egon through the tunnel.

"Yeah, okay," Cody said reluctantly. He could hear the unmistakable pain in Nick's voice and noted that any time he separated from Nick for even an instant, Nick's hand groped frantically for Cody's back. "Don't worry, buddy. I'm not letting you stray," he whispered reassuringly.

Nick smiled in return. "Glad to hear it."

"Wait!" Peter exclaimed suddenly.

"Deke!" Nick added, knowing what Peter was thinking.

"Deke?" Cody asked in surprise. "Nick, maybe you're a little confused..."

"No!" Nick said anxiously. "Deke Kelly. He... his body is back there. We can't just leave him there."

Cody hesitated briefly, exchanging a quick look with Egon. "I'm sorry, Nick. I'm afraid we have no choice. Egon and I have our hands full right now."

"Cody's right," Egon added. "We will be sure to tell the authorities where Mr. Kelly is. We promise," he stressed, stopping Peter's protest. "Quite frankly, we need to get the two of you some help as soon as possible. I'm afraid Mr. Kelly is beyond our help. Your welfare is clearly our first concern."

Peter saw the sadness in Nick's face and knew it only mirrored his own, but he also knew that Egon and Cody were right.

"We'll make sure that you're not left here, Deke," he heard Nick say softly.

"That's right," Cody said reaching out to grip Nick by the arm. "Let's keep going."

"Okay," Nick said just moments before he fell unconscious into Cody's arms.

Egon had been concentrating on helping Peter along their makeshift path and didn't realize anything had happened until he suddenly felt Peter's grip tighten. He stopped to look at his friend and noticed him looking back towards the others.

"What happened?" he asked. He kept his tone casual, but the tight hold he had on Egon's shoulder betrayed his attempt at nonchalance.

Cody placed his fingertips against Nick's throat then felt his chest. "He's still breathing. I think he just passed out."

Egon felt the tension leave Peter at the news.

"I thought he was... you know... a macho army man," Peter said, although even Cody thought he detected relief in his voice.

"Even macho soldiers can give in when they're spilling their brains out," Cody retorted, hoisting Nick's still form over his shoulder. "I've got him," he announced. "Let's go."

********

"There they are!" Ray cried out.

"Where?" Murray demanded anxiously.

"Over there," Ray said, pointing towards the far corner of the parking structure.

"That's where we are too, then," Winston said, first walking, then trotting in the direction of their missing friends.

The others needed no further encouragement and eagerly kept up with Winston. Murray, who had actually been able to maintain the pace, stopped short when he realized that there was no voluntary movement from Nick, who remained draped across Cody's broad shoulder. "Nick!" he said in a whisper.

"Come on!" Ray encouraged. 

"What do you people think you're doing?" a police officer asked them.

"Those are our friends!" Winston snapped. "They're away from the structure, so we're not walking into trouble. Bottom line is, you can't stop us."

The officer turned and looked towards the end of the structure Winston had indicated, and upon seeing the four men emerging, called immediately for medical assistance from one of several ambulance crews on the scene.

While Cody was helping a paramedic ease Nick onto a stretcher, Egon was assisting Peter in the same fashion.

"Let me take a quick look at that leg of yours, mister," a young paramedic said, after inserting an IV needle into Peter's arm. 

"No, my wounds aren't serious," he said. "Take care of him," he pointed at Ryder. "He's got a head wound."

"He's being taken care of, sir," the paramedic insisted. "Now, let's see what we can do for you." He inspected Peter's leg while another paramedic was calling the hospital and reporting in with Peter's vital statistics.

"Don't argue with them, Peter," Egon scolded. "They're here to take care of you, and you _will_ allow them to do so."

"Hey, when did _you_ join the military!" Peter scoffed, but he did so with a smile.

"Peter!" Ray shouted as he and the others reached their friends. "Are you okay? Wow, what happened to your leg? Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, Ray, everything's okay. Are you guys all all right?" he asked.

"We're cool, Pete," Winston said. "Man, your leg is really bruised up there, isn't it?"

"It must hurt," Ray noted. "Does it hurt a lot?"

"Just a little, Ray, just a little," Peter said with a forced smile. "But don't you worry, Tex, not for a minute. I'm going to be just fine."

********

"Cody?" Murray asked nervously.

Cody was hovering over Nick as the paramedics worked on him. He looked up to exchange a long worried look with Murray, who patted his back in shared concern.

"How is he?" Cody asked, returning his focus to Nick.

"He's in shock, most likely dehydrated," the paramedic said as he carefully dabbed at Nick's wound. "They'll be able to tell you more about that head injury at the hospital. He'll need some x-rays, probably a CT. Let's move him," he instructed another paramedic. "Excuse me, sir," he said to Cody.

"Can we go with you?" Cody asked.

"I'm sorry, sir, that's not allowed," a paramedic hanging onto an IV bag said.

"Well, I'd follow you in my car, but I'm afraid it's only about two inches high right now!" he snapped.

"Cody!" Murray cautioned, resting a hand on Cody's arm. He could feel Cody trembling as much as he tried to mask it, and smiled at him reassuringly.

"Yeah, I know, I'm sorry," he sighed, running a hand through his dust covered hair.

The paramedic hesitated for a moment, looked at his partners then back at Cody. "Okay, you guys, come on. These are rather unusual circumstances, after all."

"Thanks!" Cody smiled gratefully. "Come on, Boz! It's okay, Nick," he said to the quieted dark haired man, patting his chest. "We're on the way to the hospital now. You'll be fine."

Murray gasped. "Cody! Your hands!"

"I'm sure he'll be okay, Peter," Ray said, catching Peter gazing at Nick's unconscious form as the stretcher was hoisted into the ambulance.

"Yeah, he's a real tough dude," Winston concurred.

"Maybe," Peter said dubiously. "But he's not exactly into common sense."

"What do you mean?" Egon wondered, as Peter's stretcher was lifted into an ambulance.

"You've heard the phrase 'throwing caution to the winds'? Well, that fool doesn't just throw it, he catapults it. Idiot!" 

Egon and Ray climbed into the ambulance to sit at Peter's side, while Winston rode up front in the passenger seat.

*******

"When are we going to hear anything?" Cody asked, swinging his newly bandaged hands in frustration.

"Would you please be careful with your hands? As soon as they're able to find out anything, I'm sure they'll let us know," Murray tried to calm him. "After all, Cody, certainly all of the area hospitals are pretty busy right now."

Murray's words made Cody realize that this catastrophe went far beyond his own little world. For hours, it seemed like nothing else existed except a collapsed parking garage, a ton of rubble and Nick trapped in the middle. He hesitated and looked around the waiting room and noticed for the first time all the scurrying anxious faces that surrounded him.

"Gentlemen?" a doctor clad in blue scrubs called out as he emerged from an emergency room marked "3".

"Yes?" Cody said nervously.

"You're the gentlemen here with a Mr. Ryder?"

"Yes," Murray said, sounding just as nervous as Cody.

"I'm Dr. Greer," he said, reaching out to shake their hands in greeting.

"How is he?" Cody asked.

"Mr. Ryder is suffering from a concussion. We're currently running some tests to see if we can determine the degree and see if there are any secondary effects--"

"Secondary effects?" Cody asked. "Like what?"

"Effects such as hemorrhage, brain swelling or edema. We also want to make sure the brain stem wasn't affected."

"Oh," Cody said quietly.

"Can we see him?" Murray asked.

"He's not conscious at the moment," Dr. Greer said. "There are actually seven degrees of concussion, gentlemen. It's frightening, yes, but I have seen some good signs. I would like to ask you a few questions."

"Anything," Cody offered.

"Was he ever conscious after he sustained the injury?"

"We weren't with him at the time," Cody said. "But when I found him, he was definitely conscious."

"Was he lucid? Did his thinking seem to be unclear?"

"Uh. . ." Cody scratched his forehead trying to remember. "Well, he didn't seem to remember sense of direction. I mean, he couldn't tell us where the other man was that was with him, and they were only separated by a matter of yards. Yeah, that kind of scared me."

"But he recognized you?"

"Yes," Cody said with a strong nod. "He knew it was me."

"Was he able to move around?"

"Sort of," Cody said. "He was walking when we started to leave, but he wasn't exactly steady on his feet. I don't know if he was dizzy or lightheaded or what, though. He wasn't exactly sharing at the time. I think his vision was bothering him, though."

"Oh?"

"You should ask Peter," Murray interjected.

"Peter?" Dr. Greer asked.

"Yeah! Yeah, Peter Venkman," Cody said. "He was the man I was talking about. The one who was with Nick at the time it happened. Except-- Well, he's a patient here, too."

"How serious are his injuries?"

"Leg wound," Cody said.

"I see. We'll let Mr. Venkman receive treatment and rest," Dr. Greer smiled. "If we still need to ask his some questions after we've finished running the tests, then--"

"It's Doctor Venkman," Winston said, walking up behind the Dr. Greer.

"Hey, Zed, how's Peter doing?" Cody asked absently.

"He's got his leg in some sort of sling thing hanging up in the air. They've got him hooked up to an IV bag to replenish his liquids. But he's doing okay, except for the fact that Egon and Ray are both hovering over him like mother hens. Usually he loves that sort of thing, but he doesn't seem to be into it right yet. Thought I'd stop over to see how Flyboy is doing."

"He's got a concussion," Murray announced.

"Yeah, I kind of figured that," Winston said.

"He's still unconscious," Cody said, eyes downcast.

"He just needs to shut down for a while and rest, that's all," Winston said, giving Cody a firm slap to the back. "He'll be just fine. He will."

Cody did his best to give him a smile, but it was sadly lacking in enthusiasm.

"Listen, Zed, thanks for checking on him. And I'm really glad to hear that Peter's doing all right. I'll stop by and visit him after we get Nick situated, if that's all right," Cody said.

"I'm sure he'd like that," Winston said. "I'm going to get back to Pete now. I'll fill everybody in about Nick. They were asking."

"That's nice," Murray said. "Thanks."

*****

"Hey! What happened to you?" Peter asked, turning Egon's bandaged hands over in his own and inspecting them.

"Unfortunately, we did not have the use of proper equipment to assist us in our rescue efforts, Peter."

"You guys were digging with your bare hands!" an amazed Peter said. "Egon!" he uttered, suddenly feeling both humbled and honored.

"We had no alternative," Egon said matter-of-factly, but Peter heard the emotion carefully hidden beneath the words and smiled warmly in appreciation.

"Gosh! I just knew you were okay, Peter. I just knew it," Ray smiled, fluffing up a pillow and stuffing it behind Peter's back.

"Is it okay to lean back now?" Peter said, releasing Egon's hands and indulging Ray's need to nurture him.

"Sure," Ray said. "Does that feel better? Would you like another pillow?"

"No, this is great," Peter said, grinning fondly at his young friend. "I'm fine." His grin faded as he thought about how many times he'd heard Nick falsely use that phrase while they were trapped.

"What is it, Peter?" Egon asked, leaning forward to study his friend's face. "Are you in pain? Should I get a nurse?"

"No, no," Peter assured him. "Just remembering, that's all. Hey, is anybody getting a picture of this so we can show Janine when we get home? I want her to see how brave I am."

"I already telephoned her, after some difficulty obtaining a working line, I might add," Egon stressed. "I did let her know that you are out of danger now, Peter. Since she is aware of that, I can hardly believe that any attempts to evoke sympathy from her will be successful."

Egon continued to study Peter's troubled features. His efforts to lighten the atmosphere were clearly forced. This was highly unusual for Peter. Normally, he would have thoroughly enjoyed the tender loving care bestowed upon him by his friends and comrades. Perhaps he was in more pain than he was letting on. No, that was unlike him as well. He was in the hospital now, and he knew that his friends were safe. Under normal conditions, he would be more than willing to notify them of any discomfort.

"Hmmm!" Egon mumbled, tapping his chin.

"What 'hmmm'?" Peter asked. "You're about to say something logical and/or clever, am I right?"

"Not really," Egon said, continuing to tap his chin. "I was just thinking."

"Uh-oh," Peter sighed.

Egon was saved from having to expound as Winston entered the room with a grim expression.

"What is it?" Peter asked.

"Nick's still out cold," Winston said, shaking his head. "They're running a bunch of tests. I think he might end up having to have surgery."

"Did you talk to Cody?" Egon asked.

"Yeah. He's pretty shook up, the little guy, too, but they're hangin' in there."

"What did the doctor tell them?" a wide-eyed Ray asked.

"Said he's got a concussion. Now they want to find out how bad, and what they'll need to do about it."

"I see," Egon said, noticing how unusually quiet Peter had suddenly become. "We'll have to monitor his situation carefully, won't we, Peter? I feel very strongly that neither of you would have survived your ordeal without the assistance of the other."

"If the nuisance factor kept me going, then yeah, he kept me alive," Peter smirked unconvincingly. "He'll be okay," he said softly. "He's too darn thick-headed to let a little thing like a concussion get him down."

*****

"So what exactly does this mean?" Cody asked the doctor once he and Murray had joined him in his office.

"Allow me to show you," he said, turning the light on behind the CT scan and x-ray films. "Right here," he indicated with a pen tip, "you can see some swelling behind the left optic nerve area. I have come to the conclusion that it would best serve Mr. Ryder's interest if we perform surgery to--"

"To reduce the swelling," Murray finished numbly.

"That's correct," the doctor nodded.

"How dangerous is it?" Cody asked, meeting the doctor's eyes.

"Any operation carries with it a certain risk," the doctor smiled. "And of course, the brain can be a very tricky area. However, it is a procedure I have done numerous times. His trauma, although serious, is certainly not irreversible. Do you know who we should contact as his next of kin?"

"That would be us," Cody said. "I'll sign the release."

"I think I'll go speak with Dr. Venkman," the doctor said. "He may be able to shed some light on Mr. Ryder's condition before you found him."

"Yes, by all means," Murray said. "Would you mind if we joined you?"

"I have no objections. Of course, Dr. Venkman will have the final say." Dr. Venkman had no objections when asked if he would be willing to assist Nick's surgeon with information, and Cody and Murray were welcome to join Egon, Winston and Ray as spectators, as all were interested in the outcome.

"Dr. Venkman..."

"Call me Peter, please," Peter offered.

"All right, Peter, did you actually see the blow that Mr. Ryder suffered during the earthquake?"

"No," Peter said, shaking his head. "We rode in the same elevator, but once we got off, we went in separate directions. It was a little while after the earthquake before I heard anything from him."

"So he did lose consciousness initially?"

"Oh, yeah," Peter stated. "This two ton cement pillar made itself at home on my leg, and I let out a yell or two, I'll admit it. He was out of it for several minutes. I'm not sure exactly how long, sorry. I wasn't exactly in the mood to study my watch at the time."

"That's understandable," the doctor smiled patiently.

"But as soon as he came to, he called out for me. He knew it had to be me; we were the only two on that floor at the time."

"So he was aware of what was going on?" Cody asked.

"Well, yes and no," Peter said. "He was the best judge, oddly enough. He'd tell me himself when he was having trouble focusing."

"Focusing," the doctor repeated. "By that, do you mean vision wise or cognitively speaking?"

"Both."

"Was he nauseated?" the doctor asked.

"All the time," Peter said.

"Vomiting?"

"Yeah, early on. He knew it bugged me, so he fought it back, I think. Of course by then he didn't have anything in his stomach, so... You know, I think he was having fits with his stomach because of his eyes," Peter said, snapping his fingers.

"Did he ever describe the vision problems? Blurry? Perhaps dim, or--"

"I don't know about that," Peter interrupted. "But I do know he was seeing double."

"Double?" Ray asked.

"Yeah. He said he was seeing everything in duplicate or everything was dancing around because he was seeing too much of it, something like that. Why? What's going on?"

The doctor looked at Cody and got his nod of approval before discussing Nick's condition with the men in the room. As briefly as possible but without omitting any pertinent information, everyone was advised about the upcoming surgery. When the doctor left the room to prepare for the surgery, he left a roomful of grim-faced men.

Winston approached Cody and Murray and placed a reassuring hand on each man's shoulder. "He'll pull through this, guys. You have to believe it!"

"That's right!" Ray said, giving them an encouraging thumbs-up.

"The doctor did say he's done this procedure countless times," Egon added. He glanced down at Peter and was stunned to see his face looking nearly as downcast as Cody and Murray's.

*****

Murray realized he'd been staring at the same page in _Newsweek_ for nearly fifteen minutes without having read a word, and sighing in frustration, he set the magazine on the table.

"Hard to think about anything else, isn't it?" Cody said to him with a feeble smile.

Murray returned the smile. "Yes," he said softly.

"You know what? I think I'm going to-- I don't know, go for a little walk or something," Cody said. "I'm going stir crazy."

"Would you like me to go with you, Cody?" Murray offered.

"No. No, that's okay. I just need to clear my head a little bit, I guess. I won't be gone long, okay?"

"Sure," Murray said. "I understand."

Cody didn't know for sure where he was walking to, he just knew he needed to get out of the confinement of the waiting room. He surprised himself when he ended up at the chapel, quietly stepping inside and knelt in a pew, lowering his head and quietly folded his hands in prayer.

_Not Nick, Lord. Not Nick, please. it's not time for him yet Not my best friend. Please don't take him. Please_!

He didn't know how long he'd been there before he heard someone quietly slip into the pew alongside him. Glancing to his left, he discovered Egon Spengler sifting pensively at his side. He looked over upon sensing Cody's gaze.

"I'm sorry," Egon apologized. "If I'm disturbing you, I can leave."

"No," Cody said. "That's not necessary. I don't exactly-- I kind of-- Well, I don't know what else to say, so..."

Egon gave him a comforting smile. "I'm sure He understands whatever you were trying to convey."

Cody smiled weakly. "That's what I hear."

"I've been told this is an excellent facility," Egon noted.

Cody grinned, wondering if Egon was trying to convince Cody or himself. It sounded like a bit of both. "I've heard that, too."

"Cody, I have a confession I feel it necessary to make," Egon began, clearing his throat.

"Oh, really? What's that?" Cody said absently.

"While Ray and Winston and I were riding in the ambulance with Peter, and I kept looking at his leg, and seeing him in such pain, I couldn't help but feel that if I had only been a little quicker, a little stronger, if my thinking had been clearer... Well, I'm sure you understand...that I could have gotten to him--and Nick, and Deke, for that matter--sooner. That perhaps Deke might have survived, that Peter and Nick's injuries would have been less severe. However, as I reflected upon our actions, it occurred to me that there was nothing more that we could have done. We did everything we could conceivably do under the circumstances. And Cody," he stressed, "Peter and Nick are alive. Because of what they did for each other, I'm certain... but also because of us... they are alive. I believe it was a job well done, Cody."

Cody had listened to Egon's words carefully, and once Egon had concluded, he gave him a genuine smile. "Thanks," he said. He reached out and gave Egon an exhausted hug. "We did it, didn't we?"

Egon awkwardly accepted the embrace. "Yes. I know Nick will pull through this. We cannot have gone through everything we did for Peter and Nick--only to lose one of them."

Cody nodded appreciatively.

"Have you heard any indication how long the surgery might take?"

"It'll be a while yet," Cody told him.

"Hmmm, I see," Egon said.

"I'm sorry," Cody apologized, noticing for the first time that he wasn't the only one feeling pensive. "I guess I've been a little self-absorbed. Is Peter all right?"

"Peter? He'll be fine," Egon assured him with a smile. "His leg is on the mend."

"Then why the look?" Cody insisted.

"The look?"

"Egon!"

"Well, I suspect... Well, I'm certain, actually, that Peter is quite troubled."

"I'm sure he must be," Cody said after a moment's thought. "I mean those two went through an awful lot, after all."

"Yes, that's clearly the case, but..."

"But what?"

"Peter tends to...enjoy enlightening anybody within a ten-mile proximity of any adventures that cross his path. Yes, even something like an earthquake. However, that's not the case here. He's almost withdrawn. That's not something I'm used to. I believe he's frightened."

"Of what? Aftershocks, maybe?"

"No, I don't think that's it. I think he might be frightened for Nick."

Cody lowered his head imperceptibly, closing his eyes at the reminder. He then managed a smile and returned his attention to Egon. "That's an interesting thought."

"I know they don't--or perhaps, didn't--hold the utmost respect for each other, yet--"

"They've shared a battle. They've gone to war," Cody said softly.

"In a sense, yes," Egon agreed.

"I know how that can bond two souls," Cody said. "I know."

Egon could tell as he studied Cody's eyes that he was suddenly in a time and place very far away. He was more than a little familiar with the bonding of souls of which Cody referred. Egon and his friends experienced their own front line battles on a regular basis. But he knew that Cody was in a different place right now, and out of respect, he chose not to interrupt the moment by discussing it further.

"Wouldn't it be a shock...?" Cody finally said.

"If the two of them became friends of a sort?" Egon said.

"Yeah, of a sort," Cody grinned. "Of a sort."

"Listen, Cody, I know that you don't want to be away from Nick for too long, but..."

"What can I do for you?"

"I was thinking that maybe you could talk to Peter, just for a moment. I believe he'd be rather uncomfortable discussing his concerns for Nick with me, but perhaps with you..."

"I'd be happy to," Cody smiled, slapping a surprised Egon on the back. "After what he did for Nick, I've been wanting to thank him, and Nick will be in surgery for a while. It'll give me something to do to stop thinking about it, right?"

*****

Cody peeked inside the door to find Peter alone, his eyes closed.

"You asleep?" he asked in a whisper.

"No," Peter whispered back. "Come on in."

"Thanks," Cody said. "Do you mind?" he asked, pointing to a chair.

"No, have a seat," Peter offered. "How's Ryder?"

"He's still in surgery," Cody said. "Listen, I want to thank you for helping the doctor. Since Nick wasn't, you know, able to tell the doctor what happened, he was really glad that you were able to furnish him with some answers."

"It was nothing," Peter said quietly.

"lt was definitely not nothing," Cody insisted. "To tell you the truth, this scares the hell out of me. I mean, I know this isn't as serious as it could have been and the doctors are very optimistic, but... Well, to them he's just another patient. But that's not what he is to me. So, every little bit of help you gave makes a difference."

"Is there something you're not saying here?" Peter asked skeptically, his face paling.

"No, no, I wouldn't do that," Cody said. "You helped each other out down there. What I'm saying is thank you for helping my friend."

"He did more than me," Peter said. "My leg really shut me down, and I knew that with every step he took with my weight leaning on him, well...he didn't have to tell me that it felt like it was ripping his head apart. He didn't complain. I owe him."

"And I'm sure that you had to see for him," Cody deduced. "It's fairly obvious that Nick wouldn't have been able to get around or function at all, for that matter, without your help. I bet you didn't complain, either."

"We loved complaining," Peter grinned. "It was great!"

That drew a chuckle from Cody. "I can only begin to imagine! Peter..."

"Yeah?"

"I don't even know if I should say this..."

"Say it already," Peter encouraged.

"You found out that Nick's not such a bad guy after all, didn't you?"

"He has his moments," Peter said stubbornly. "But he's got courage, and he's got decency. I guess he just keeps that carefully hidden, that's all."

"Sometimes from some people. I'd better be getting back to him," Cody said, reaching over to shake Peters hand. "Gee, I wonder what he'll say about you when he comes out of all this," Cody smiled fondly.

"Yeah," Peter said, returning the handshake. Once the door closed behind Cody, Peter sank back against the pillows, his hands folded behind his head. "I wonder, too."

*****

"Sorry I deserted you, Murray," Cody apologized upon his return to the waiting roam.

"Oh, I didn't think that at all, Cody," the computer expert assured him. "I could tell that the waiting was really getting to you. It was a good idea for you to get out of here for a while."

"Thanks, Boz," he smiled. "If you need a breather...?"

"No, I'm fine," Murray said. "I did sneak out to get same coffee," he said, pointing to two Styrofoam cups on a metal table. "I don't even know if I want it," he confessed. "I guess I just needed something else to think about."

"I hear that."

"Cody," Murray said anxiously, patting Cody's shoulder.

Cody followed Murray's gaze and spotted the surgeon as he approached them, looking exhausted as he removed his surgical mask.

"Doctor?" Cody asked almost inaudibly.

"Gentlemen," the doctor said, reaching out to shake each man's hand. "Your friend came through the surgery just fine," he smiled.

Cody felt the weight of the world lift from his shoulders as he absorbed the doctor's words. "Thank you," he said with a sigh.

"Can we see him?" Murray asked, feeling Cody's hand rest comfortingly on his back.

"Well, it won't do you much good today," Dr. Greer said. "He'll be in recovery far a bit and it might be a while before he wakes up."

"How long is a while?" Cody asked.

"It varies from case to case," Dr. Greer replied. "I know you're very anxious to see him. I'll tell you what. When he comes down from recovery, you can sit with him if you'd like--for your own peace of mind, because frankly, Mr. Ryder won't know you're there. Let me caution you, however, he will look a little pale. That's normal. He'll have monitors. That's also normal."

"We've been warned," Cody smiled. "But we do want to see him."

"What exactly can we expect when he does wake up?" Murray asked. "I mean, you've reduced the swelling, but do you know if--?"

"lf there's been permanent damage?" Dr. Greer finished for him when Murray started to falter. "There will definitely be some memory loss. However, it will most likely return fragmentally. Think of it like his brain working as it heals to put a jigsaw puzzle back together. He will have a whopper of a headache for several days, then probably off and on for a while. Don't let him make any sudden moves, although I can guarantee that after one wrong move, he'll learn to watch that on his own. He'll be cranky at times, more sensitive than usual, and he won't understand why. You may have to repeat things, but that doesn't mean that he's not paying attention to you. Remember, he'll be struggling. So be patient and bend over backwards for a short time to be understanding. He'll be a confused young man until things settle down for him."

"We can do that," Cody assured him.

"Doctor," Murray began nervously, grateful to still feel Cody's hand of friendship resting on him. "Will Nick remember us?"

"Most likely," he responded. "Patients with Mr. Ryder's degree of injury often lose their memory from the moment of the trauma on. I know how eager you are to know Nick's status. Let's just say that Nick came through the surgery with flying colors, and leave it at that for the time being. We'll learn more in the next couple days, all right?"

"Right," Cody said, once again gratefully shaking the man's hand. "Thanks."

"You two look like you need a break," the doctor smiled. "Why don't you visit our cafeteria and have yourselves something to eat. It's not that bad, I promise."

"Okay," Cody grinned. "I guess I am a little hungry, now that you mention it."

"Now that you'll allow it, you mean," Murray said. "Listen, Cody, I think I'll stop by Peter's room first and tell him and the others the good news. Do you mind?"

"Not at all; it's a good idea. In fact, I'll tag along with you," Cody nodded. "They've been sweating this out, too, haven't they?"

*****

"Hey, you're not in traction anymore!" Murray noted as he and Cody met with the others in Peter's room.

"The swelling's gone down quite a bit," Ray said. "Isn't that great?"

"I'm still stuck in this stupid bed, though," Peter said. "Do you have news?"

"Yeah," Cody said. "That's why we stopped by. Nick's out of surgery and the doctor said it was successful."

"That's great," Peter said, unable to contain his smile. "Have you talked to him?"

"Really, Peter, certainly you don't expect Nick to be awake so soon, do you?" Egon asked.

"Oh, yeah, I suppose that is a bit too soon," Peter said. "Well, when he does wake up, he'll probably give you an earful about our ordeal, but don't let him fool you--"

"Well, Dr. Greer says he probably won't even remember the ordeal," Murray noted.

"What?" Peter asked softly.

"Not for a while anyway," Cody confirmed. "But it'll probably all come back to him with a little healing time."

"Oh," Peter sighed.

It might have gone unnoticed by anyone else in the room, but Egon instantly detected a sadness in Peter's eyes. He instinctively drew closer to his friend's bedside and rested a supportive hand against his shoulder.

"Anyway, since you guys have been so great, we just wanted to share the good news with you," Cody grinned.

"Thank you," Egon said sincerely. "We were greatly concerned about Nick's welfare. This is the news we were hoping for, isn't it, Peter?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, of course," a dazed Peter agreed. "When's he gonna wake up?"

"We're not sure," Murray confessed. "But after we stop for some dinner, we're going to visit him."

"Wonderful!" Winston said. "But will Flyboy even know that you're around?"

"We will," Cody said firmly.

*****

Cody and Murray were so excited at the prospect of seeing Nick that they barely tasted their food. All they knew was that they sat at the table with their dinners, and eventually their plates were empty. They couldn't get to Nick's room fast enough.

"It probably seems a little crazy to get ourselves so worked up about visiting him when he's still out of it," Cody grinned sheepishly to the nurse just exiting Nick's room.

"Not at all," the nurse smiled. "Besides, who's to say what a person can and can't hear, hmmm?"

"Yes, indeed," Murray said. "Good point. I think I'll choose to believe he can hear us."

"Good idea, Boz," Cody smiled. "Let's go."

He opened the door and stepped cautiously inside, followed closely by Murray. Even with the advance warning, the sight before him stunned him to the point where he actually sank backwards and would have fallen if not for Murray's surprisingly strong support.

Nick's pallor was shockingly white, his face gaunt. His head was wrapped in bandages, and the steady beeping of monitors seemed the only sign of life.

Murray turned Cody around to face him and whispered firmly. "Remember what Dr. Greer said?"

Cody nodded, taking in a deep breath.

"Are you okay?"

Once again Cody nodded. "Yeah," he said quietly, smiling gratefully at Murray before returning his attention to Nick. He glanced around quickly for a chair and pulled it to Nick's bedside.

"Hey, buddy," he said softly, carefully placing Nick's hand in his own and squeezing it gently. "It's me, Cody. I'm here. Murray's here, too."

"Hi, Nick," Murray said, easing into a second chair on the other side of the bed.

"We just wanted to let you know that you went through the surgery just fine. It's all over, my friend. You did a great job."

"Yeah, Nick," Murray added. "All that's left for you to do is heal now, and we'll help you with that. Piece of cake."

"Murray's right," Cody said. He massaged Nick's lifeless arm tenderly, being careful not to disturb the lV's. "Your skin's cold. Are you cold?" he asked, pulling the blanket up a little higher. "There. That's better."

"We're both okay, Nick," Murray said. "I know you worry about things like that. I just want you to know that neither of us was injured. Well, Cody's hands, but he's gonna be just fine. Really."

Cody looked down at his hands, surprised that he'd forgotten about his own bandages, and realized that he'd been holding on to Nick without even noticing any pain of his own.

"We've sure got a lot to tell you about, buddy. I wonder how much you remember. There's probably some stuff that you don't need to, huh? Well, that's okay. It doesn't matter."

"Listen, Nick, I called Dooley," Murray said.

"When did you do that?" Cody wondered.

"While you stepped out earlier. It took several attempts, but eventually I got through," Murray informed him. "I just wanted to let you know that the _Riptide_ and the _Mimi_ are both fine, King Harbor and Redondo Beach were completely unaffected. So, the Vette's also okay."

"I knew we should have taken your car," Cody chuckled in spite of himself. "The Jimmy is totaled, but that's what insurance is for, right? Yet again. But don't you worry about that. Not for a minute. That's so unimportant right now." He gently placed Nick's hand back on the bed, then lowered his head, resting it against his folded hands on the bed.

Much to Murray's surprise, he realized that Cody was quietly crying. He quickly walked around the bed to stand behind Cody, resting his own hands on Cody's shoulders. "You know what, Nick?" he said, his eyes focusing on the closed eyes of his partner. "We're not going to bore you with our endless chatter. We're just going to sit here quietly with you for a few minutes, okay?"

And so the three men remained, the still form of Nick Ryder, his emotionally drained best friend and the glue that always held them all together being ever supportive.

"I'm sorry about that," Cody apologized when they stepped away from Nick's room while the doctor examined him. "I don't know what that was all about."

"I do," Murray said. "It's called relief. You just held so much inside for so long. I mean, certainly, seeing him like that is--"

"Yeah, that's a little hard to take," Cody confirmed.

"But l still think it's just releasing all those fears. Don't you?"

"Yeah, I think you're probably right," Cody admitted sheepishly. "I'll just be glad when he comes around."

"I know."

*****

The next morning brought with it no change. Although Nick's vital signs remained strong, he still showed no signs of regaining consciousness. Cody and Murray had stayed in his room overnight. Although under normal circumstances that would have been frowned upon, the hospital staff was simply too overworked with earthquake victims to put up much of a fight over the issue. Just as they looked the other way when Peter Venkman's room remained overcrowded.

"Is there any word yet?" Peter asked Egon.

"Winston just came back from Nick's room a short while ago while you were still sleeping," Egon told him. "Nick is still unconscious."

Peter visibly slumped against his pillow.

"We have been assured that this is no cause for alarm," Egon hastened to add.

"Yeah, sure, I know," Peter said. "Egon?"

"Yes, Peter?"

"Nothing. Never mind."

Egon silently rested an understanding hand on Peter's shoulder.

"Peter, you're awake!" Ray said with a yawn, trying to stretch comfortably in his chair. "How are you feeling this morning? Is there anything I can get you?"

"Great, Tex," Peter said behind a troubled smile. "No, I don't need anything, but thanks."

*****

Cody and Murray ended up agreeing to take shifts at Nick's bedside, albeit reluctantly. Neither wanted to leave his side, but they each finally had to admit that small pieces of time away were necessary to keep themselves healthy. Each man also respected the other's private time with Nick.

Murray normally talked with Nick about the day to day activities aboard the Riptide, in hopes that it would make him feel more comfortable, perhaps less frightened to wake up. Cody started out on a similar path, but after falling into an awkward silence, he decided to choose a different approach.

"You know, Nick, you really put me on a roller coaster ride, here," he said, looking to the once vibrant blue eyes, now closed. "I was scared spitless when I saw that parking structure and knew you were in there. But, man, I felt so relieved when we found you. Then this! The doc said you did just great in surgery, Nick, but it's time to wake up now. It's okay to wake up now; can you hear me, buddy?"

He gripped his silent friend's hand in his own. "Come on, Nick. I need you to wake up now. It might be kinda scary at first, but that's okay. I can help you. Like you've always been there to help me. Murray... Murray and I will both help you, you know we will. But I... Well, I miss you, and I hate this! I hate not having you answer me. You're always there to answer me, and... And it's really lonely in this world right now. Come on, Nick, wake up. You can do it."

The monotonous beeping of Nick's heart monitor was his only response.

*****

"What's that for?" Peter asked as Egon entered his room pushing an empty wheelchair.

"For you."

"Huh?"

"I sense a need, dare I say a necessity, for you to see Nick Ryder for yourself. Am I mistaken?" he asked gently.

"Well... No, I guess not," Peter admitted.

"Rather than have you do something extraordinarily nonsensical, such as attempting to hobble by yourself to his room when it is more than evident just how inadvisable a gambit that would be, I decided the most sensible thing to do was to escort you, personally. Do you have any objections?"

"No," Peter grinned. "I have no objections to whatever it was that you just said. It might be a little tricky getting into that thing. Will you help me?" he asked, reaching out his arms.

"Always."

*****

Egon peeked in the door to find Cody and Murray together at Nick's bedside. They glanced quickly at the sound of the opening door and both gave Egon an encouraging nod. Egon motioned them outside.

"How is he?" Egon asked.

"Pretty much the same. Vitals are strong. We're just waiting him out," Murray responded. "Well, hello, Peter! It's good to see you up and around... Well, sort of."

"Thanks, Murray," an obviously anxious Peter said.

"Peter was wondering if perhaps he could visit with Nick for a moment," Egon told them.

"Oh," Cody said.

"Hey, I can talk for myself," Peter complained. "I was just wondering if perhaps I could visit with Nick for a moment."

"I don't see a problem with that," Cody said. "Uh, listen, Murray, how do you feel about going for a cup of coffee?"

"Sounds like a good idea," Murray said, quick to catch the hint. "Egon, would you care to join us?"

"Actually, once I get Peter situated, I have some phone calls I need to make. I promised Janine I'd call her with regular updates, and if I neglect to do so, I'm afraid she'll be most unpleasant upon our return to New York. But thank you for the offer."

"Sure," Cody said.

"Thanks, Egon," Peter said sincerely, as Egon wheeled him next to Nick before turning to leave the two of them alone.

"You're welcome, Peter. I'll come back to check on you in a few minutes," Egon smiled.

"Wow," Peter said, as he stopped to observe Nick once the two of them were alone. "You're really laid up there, aren't you, General?" He looked more closely at the bandaged head. "Uh-oh, I think your hair has gone bye-bye... Well, at least part of it. Probably just as well if they took it all, don't you think? I mean, you don't want to be uneven, do ya?"

He waited patiently for a response that wasn't forthcoming.

"Listen, Skipper, this is no time for theatrics, so why don't you just wake up already and get it over with. Besides, you're not doing a good job at it, anyway. Typically half-baked, minimum output... I could teach you a million things. I... I'd like to teach you a million things. Knowing you, though, you'd be too darned stubborn to make use of any of it."

Again he awaited a reply.

"You, uh, you look different when you're not being a smart aleck. Younger somehow," Peter decided aloud. "I don't think that's because of your smart mouth, though. I kind of think it's because maybe you don't have to put up any fronts right now. Maybe it's kind of nice to relax, huh? Maybe you need that break."

He rubbed his hands across his face, weighing his next move carefully. "Listen, Nick, I know a lot about protective defenses. Heck, I thought I wrote the book on it, but sometimes I have to wonder if you weren't writing a very similar story at about the same time."

So focused was he on Nick's pale features, he didn't realize that Egon had reentered the room. Nor did he realize when Cody reappeared a few moments later, about to approach Nick before Egon's silent hand stopped him.

"What I'm trying to say is, I think we got to know each other pretty well in that hole," Peter continued. "Probably a lot more than either of us would have planned in a zillion years. Anyway, you should know that it's okay to protect yourself that way from time to time. In fact, sometimes, it's downright necessary. But make sure you don't lose yourself behind those walls, Captain. You can't let them get so thick that you can't find your way out."

He waited quietly for Nick to respond.

"You know, from the first moment I met you-- Ha, that was a momentous occasion now, wasn't it! I could see that troubled look in your eyes. It didn't matter if you were mad, if you were laughing, or if you were saying something totally stupid, which was more often than not, incidentally--it was still there. That other stuff? The bravado, the wit--all illusions!! Maybe that's one of the things, of the many things, that really irritated me about you.

"Of course, I probably did pretty much the same thing to you, don't you think? Maybe I saw a little too much of myself in you and that made my walls come up whenever we crossed paths. I mean, it looked all too familiar. I guess I didn't need the reminders.

"But there's so much more to you, Nick. Don't be afraid to let yourself shine. I almost let myself fall into that trap, but Egon saw through my illusions and rescued me from myself. For you, there's Cody. I know you're free with him. Just don't let this push you back now, okay? It's not a case of your friends loving you even though you're loaded with faults, although I wouldn't be surprised if that's what you think. They happen to love you because you're worthy of being loved. Uh-oh, I'm starting to make myself sick," Peter said with a grin. "I better stop before I ruin my appetite."

Egon tapped Cody's shoulder and motioned for him to follow him out into the hallway.

"Wow," Cody muttered once they were safely out of the room.

"My sentiments exactly," Egon said. "This is just what I had expected."

"What do you mean?"

"The bonds of war that unite men that you and I discussed earlier. I have noticed a certain change in Peter's demeanor. This visit is very important to him."

"Maybe it is to Nick, too," Cody confided. He paused, then emitted an embarrassed chuckle. "I have to admit, I'm a little jealous."

"Just a little? In all honesty, I am as well. I believe I know what you're feeling. You wish you were the one that had been there with Nick, just as I wish I had been there for Peter."

"You got it. Pretty silly, isn't it?"

"Not at all. Although I don't believe either of our positions has been usurped, Cody."

"I know, I know," Cody said, reaching out to pat Egon on the back. "Nick is, and always will be, my best friend. And I have no doubt that you and Peter can say the same about your relationship. And, yes, I do believe that this visit is good for both of them. At least it can't hurt, right?"

"Egon?" Peter called out quietly, instinctively knowing he'd be close by.

"He must be finished," Egon said. "I'll take him back to his room now. Thank you for permitting this visit. And Cody?"

"Yes?"

"You didn't fail him," Egon said knowingly. "You wouldn't even begin to know how."

Cody nodded with a smile, then fell silent as he reflected on Peter's words to Nick. He thought back to vulnerable times in his best friend's life, times when Nick confided his deepest fears, called upon memories normally left carefully concealed. He couldn't help but wonder just how much Nick did share with Peter while they were trapped.

He was shaken out of his reverie when Egon emerged from the room pushing Peter in his wheelchair, and he found Peter's eyes locking onto his own. Although Peter obviously chose not to converse on the subject, his eyes told Cody just as clearly as if he'd said it aloud: yes, I know some things--not all, but it's okay.

"There appears to be no visible change in Nick's condition," Egon said, misinterpreting Cody's thoughtful expression. "I am certain that he will come to, soon. We must think positive thoughts."

"I'm sure he will, too," Cody said, reaching out to shake Egon's hand. "You guys have been terrific, really."

He then extended a hand to Peter, and held onto the grip a little longer than usual. "Thank you," he said with heartfelt emotion.

"No problem," Peter said sincerely, then he threw Cody a grin. "Just smack him around a little bit, he'll come around."

****

"What did he say?" Murray asked dumbfounded as he joined Cody just as his conversation with Peter and Egon had ended.

"It was a joke, Murray," Cody assured him.

"Oh," Murray sighed. "How is he?"

"Same. Let's go talk with him," Cody encouraged him.

"Okay," Murray said somberly.

"Getting to you a little bit?" Cody asked with a sympathetic smile, rubbing Murray's shoulder.

"Well, not exactly," Murray said, as they took their positions at Nick's side. "This is so unnatural for him, and I just-- I wish--"

"I understand," Cody said tenderly. He took Nick's hand in his own and massaged his arm, willing him to feel the touch. "Hi, Nick. We're back. We snuck downstairs for some really awful coffee, but then, we've probably had worse, so I shouldn't complain."

"That's true," Murray said. "And if you put double cream in it, you can't really taste it quite so much..." He stopped when he noticed Cody straighten up suddenly. "What? What is it? Is he okay?"

"Murray!" Cody sputtered excitedly. "He just squeezed my hand! Nick just squeezed my hand!"

"Are you sure?" Murray asked, rising to his feet.

"What do you mean am I sure! Yes! Yes, I'm sure! Nick, can you hear me, buddy? lt's us. It's Cody and Murray! We're right here! Can you hear me? Squeeze my hand again. You can do it!"

Murray watched intently and yelped for joy as he witnessed the event for himself. Yes, those fingers definitely made an earnest attempt to close around Cody's hand.

"Did you see that, Murray?" Cody laughed.

"Yes! He squeezed your hand!" Murray returned the laugh. "The nurse! I'm going to get the nurse!"

"Okay, Murray, that's great!" Cody said, then returned his attention to his best friend and partner. "Nick, can you open your eyes? I know it's probably not easy and you're really tired, but try to concentrate, okay?"

He held his breath as he could see Nick's eyelids begin to stir. After what seemed like an eternity, they actually did struggle to open.

"That's it," Cody encouraged. "Good." He squeezed Nick's hand all the harder, disregarding the fact that it was causing him physical pain.

Nick's eyes opened halfway, then slowly closed again, causing Cody to fear that he was slipping back under, but to his relief he soon discovered it was only a slow-motion blink. The next time Nick opened his eyes, Cody could see him struggling to focus.

"I'm right here, Nick. It's really nice to see you again, my friend," he said with a smile that could brighten a room.

Nick's eyes drowsily turned toward the voice he needed to hear above all else.

"Welcome home, buddy," Cody said tenderly in a voice filled with emotion.

Nick's weary smile in response filled Cody with enormous reassurance. Not only was Nick awake, but he recognized Cody and comprehended what was said to him.

Murray frantically reappeared with both a nurse and doctor in tow. "Nick!" he called out. "You're awake!"

The exhausted blue eyes shifted to the sound of the new voice, and his face instantly picked up an expression of obvious discomfort.

The disappointment on Murray's face was just as obvious.

"No, no, it's not you," the doctor assured him with a patient smile. "Your young friend here just learned for himself not to make any sudden moves. Shifting his field of vision this quickly after waking up probably made him rather dizzy.

"Good of you to join us, Mr. Ryder," Dr. Greer said, leaning over the bed to look Nick directly in the eyes. "I'm sure you must be a little confused right now, and you're probably not feeling your best. I'm going to examine you right now, then you can visit with your friends if you're not too tired, all right? It should help if you pick a spot high up on the wall and try to focus on that. That can help alleviate some of that dizziness for now." He turned his attention to Cody and Murray. "If you gentlemen will wait outside for just a few minutes. I'll let you know when I'm finished."

"Sure, sure," Murray said, nudging Cody along. "We'll be right outside, Nick. Don't worry, everything's gonna be fine. You're doing great."

"Now then," Dr. Greer began, flashing his pen light in Nick's eyes. "Good," he smiled. "Nick, can you wiggle your fingers for me?" After a great deal of concentration, Nick was able to complete the task. "Great," Dr. Greer said, lifting the sheet from the foot of the bed. "How about your toes?" Once again, Nick was able to do as asked. "Wonderful."

Nick struggled to clear his throat in an obvious attempt to speak.

"Take your time," Dr. Greer advised.

"What...?" Nick again tried to clear his throat. "... happened?"

"There was an earthquake," Dr. Greer informed him in a calm voice. "I'm afraid you got a nasty bump on the head. We had to do a little surgery, but it was very successful. I think you're going to be just fine." He patted Nick's chest reassuringly. "Let me just finish up with a few more tests here. I'll be as quick as I can. You have a couple of very anxious friends who have been waiting for this moment," he grinned. "You're a very fortunate young man."

Dr. Greer, too, received a tired grin in response.

Nick closed his eyes in an effort to keep the room still and settle his stomach down. He heard the door squeak as it opened slowly, and he had to smile. He knew who it was.

"Hi," he said in a barely there voice.

"He said 'hi'!" Murray squealed. "Did you hear that?"

"Yeah, I heard," Cody smiled, Murray's enthusiasm contagious.

"Hi, right back at ya," Cody said, sifting in the chair next to Nick's bed.

"Sorry," Nick croaked. "I can't look that way."

"Oh, that's okay," Cody said, standing. "I've been sitting too long anyway."

"Yeah, me, too," Murray concurred, bypassing his chair. "Is this better?"

"Yeah," Nick said, swallowing with effort. "You guys look great. You okay?"

"We're fine," Cody said. "I have to be honest, though. I've seen you looking better."

Nick smiled slowly. "Cody?"

"Yeah?"

"What happened?"

"Didn't they tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"Well, there was an earthquake. The worst damage seems to be where you were. Why don't you tell me what the last thing is that you remember, and we can take it from there."

Nick fell silent as he tried to organize his thoughts. "We're in San Francisco?"

"Yes," Murray said. "That's very good, Nick."

"Spengler must be about to give his speech. You guys aren't missing it because of me, are you?"

Cody and Murray exchanged glances.

"No, Nick, actually that speech has been sort of postponed," Cody told him. "Do you remember leaving the hotel?"

Again Nick fought to remember. "I was going to go for a drive before his speech."

"Bingo!" Cody said.

"That's all I can remember," Nick apologized.

"Don't worry about it. Just give it time, all right?"

"Okay," Nick slurred.

"Looks like you've had about all you can take for now," Cody said. "Why don't you get some rest, my friend."

"Okay," Nick said slowly.

Murray and Cody exchanged smiles, both heading toward the door.

"We'll see you first thing in the morning," Murray told him.

"Okay," Nick said, closing his eyes. "Guys?" he asked, opening his eyes quickly.

"Yeah, Nick, what is it?" Cody asked, concerned by Nick's sudden look of confusion.

"What happened? Why am I here?"

"There was an earthquake, Nick," Cody said, his smile masking his concern. "But don't worry, everything's okay now. Just get some rest."

*****

"This is good news," Murray tried to impress upon Cody, who didn't appear totally convinced as he poured himself a cup of coffee in the waiting room. "Remember what the doctor said. He fully expected him to have no memory of the incident, and he did say that Nick would be pretty confused."

"I know, Murray, I know," Cody sighed, absently sipping the drink.

"And he knows us, and he knows we're in San Francisco. That's wonderful!" Murray insisted.

"Yes, yes, yes, that's wonderful," Cody said, allowing Murray's words to register. "But he wasn't retaining what we were telling him very well at all, was he?"

"He's confused, remember?" Murray stressed.

"Hi, fellas!" Winston Zeddemore greeted them. "I wanted to stop by for an update. So what's up? How's Flyboy doing?"

"Hi, Zed. He's awake," Cody said.

"That's wonderful news," Winston said, slapping Cody on the back. "Isn't it?" he questioned, seeing Cody's worried expression.

"Well, he doesn't remember what happened at all," Murray informed him. "But that's what we were told to expect. He's a little confused right now, but he knows who we are, and he's going to be just fine."

"It'll all settle down for him," Winston soothed Cody. "You know what they say, 'you can't keep a good man down,' right? Well, Nick's a good man. Don't you worry about a thing!"

Cody gave him a grateful smile and accepted a comradely hug.

"I think I'll go tell the others this incredible news," Winston said. "Keep your chin up, boys, tomorrow Nick will be talking your ears off. Mark my words!"

"Thanks, Zed," Cody grinned.

"How's Peter doing, Winston?" Murray asked.

"Kinda hard to say," Winston told him. "I guess he's doing all right. The swelling's gone down quite a bit. His poor leg looks like a kaleidoscope, though. Bruises of every shade you can think of, and every day they pick up a new shade. He's not complaining, though. They'll be fitting him with a walking cast pretty soon now. Keeping kinda quiet."

"That doesn't sound like Peter," Murray murmured.

"Have you thought about PTSD?" Cody wondered, toying with his lip while deep in thought.

"Yeah, to tell you the truth I have," Winston said. "After what they've been through, it's entirely possible. He'd freak out if I brought it up, though. I'm going to keep a close eye on him. I know Egon is, but I don't know if he'd know the signs like you and me."

"Keep a very close eye on him," Cody cautioned. "If he's experiencing PTSD, and it's not dealt with, it could become--"

"Yeah, I know what you're saying, man," Winston assured him. "I've seen it in my day, too. In fact, this is right down Peter's alley. He's the one who helps the rest of us through these times, but I guess it'd be a little hard for him to do it for himself now, wouldn't it?"

*****

"How's therapy coming along?" Egon asked Peter, who was sitting upright with his leg resting on a pillow.

"It's okay," Peter said absently.

"I bet you'll be out of here in no time, Peter," Ray said. "Then we can take you home. You'll feel a lot better when we get you home. I just know you will."

"it's really okay," Peter stressed. "Don't worry, guys. It's no big deal."

"I see," Egon said, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "Are you in pain?"

"No, not really," Peter said, interlacing his hands behind his head. "Those painkillers are really great."

"Gosh, they must be making you a little groggy, too," Ray noted. "Are you sure you're all right? I mean, if there's anything I can get you...?"

"I'm all right, Tex, but thanks," Peter said, working up a smile that he knew Ray needed to see. "Where's Winston, anyway?"

"I believe he's checking on Nick," Egon said.

"Would you like me to go look for him?" Ray offered.

"You know something, Ray, that's a great idea," Peter said. "I'd appreciate that."

"Sure," Ray said, happy to be doing something for his friend. "I'll be right back."

"Thanks, Ray," Peter smiled after him, sinking back against the pillow once Ray had left the room.

"Are you telling the truth when you say you are not experiencing pain?" Egon asked.

"lf I move wrong, it still stings, but it's not so bad. It's not really hurting too much."

"Peter, would you know it if it were?" Egon wondered openly.

"Huh? If it was what? What do you mean?" Peter asked, eying his friend skeptically.

"You seem rather preoccupied, Peter," Egon said frankly. "I think the last thing you're worrying about is yourself. Although I'm probably doing enough of that for both of us."

"Relax, Egon. I'm okay," Peter sighed. "Thanks, though."

Egon noted that even though he was giving Peter every opportunity to open up about his concerns, Peter seemed to close the door at every chance. After careful consideration, Egon decided it was worth the risk to forge ahead.

"Your attitude toward Nick certainly seems to have been altered after your shared experience," he noted nonchalantly.

Peter studied his friend with careful scrutiny before he responded. "I guess it was one of those life-altering experiences that you read about."

"I would imagine," Egon said, clearing his throat.

"What's on your mind, Spengs? Out with it," he said, slowly lowering his hands and resting them on his lap.

"Actually, that's the question I would ask of you. I am quite aware that you must be experiencing a myriad of emotions right now. You survived a terrifying ordeal. But you seem to be so withdrawn, Peter. It... Well, it frightens me."

"It frightens you?" Peter repeated with surprise. "Well, don't be frightened, Egon, really. I just feel a little... Oh, what's the word I'm looking for... A little lost, I guess."

"Lost?" Egon wondered. "How can I assist you?"

"That's probably not the right word," he said with a smile. "What I mean is--Okay, look, Nick Ryder can be such a nitwit, I don't have to tell you that. But, well, we came to an understanding down there, and, well, he's not always such a nitwit. Sometimes even when he's being a nitwit, he's not really a nitwit. Oh, that wore me out," he grinned.

"Can I get you something, Peter? A glass of water, perhaps? Another pillow?" Peter hesitated before answering, which concerned Egon all the more. "Peter?"

"What?" He realized that he'd been distracted to the point of not hearing his best friend. "I'm sorry, Egon. No, no, I don't need anything."

"You're certain?"

"Yeah, I'm sure," Peter promised. "Egon?"

"Yes?" Egon sat close to Peter's bedside, anticipating a breakthrough by the wistful tone in his voice.

"It was really scary down there!" he said with a sheepish grin.

"I'm sure it must have been," Egon sympathized.

"We've experienced some really spooky, no pun intended, stuff, I know. So, you probably think I'm weird even saying that, don't you?"

Egon didn't get the chance to respond before Peter continued.

"I guess I just didn't feel like I had any control, you know? I mean, there was no P.K.E. meter, no proton pack, no nothin' to fight this off with. We were in a black hole, the earth was shaking, stuff was falling all over us, we couldn't breathe... A good man died and there was nothing we could do to stop it, to help him. I didn't know what was happening to you and the guys, and... Well, it was really scary. I couldn't help Deke Kelly, I could barely help Nick, I sure couldn't help myself and..."

"And?" Egon encouraged.

"I couldn't help you guys. I was completely useless, and it scared me. A lot."

"There's nothing wrong with being scared, Peter," Egon said honestly.

"You really mean that?" Peter asked, unconvinced.

"Yes, I do. I was frightened, too. in a different way than I was of the Bogeyman. I learned then that it was all right to admit it. Not of the earthquake, so much. The hotel did not sustain the severe damage that the parking structure did.

"We were relatively safe. I was frightened more because I didn't know what had happened to you. For a long time, the meter didn't tell me who was alive. It was not easy to dig through the rubble knowing that-- That I might very well be too late. That did frighten me. That frightened me considerably. So, if I were to magnify that fear by what you must have felt... Well, I can't begin to imagine."

"I knew you were alive, Spengs. I could feel it. Couldn't you?" Peter wondered.

"Yes, Peter, I could," Egon confided. "But it was far too important for me to allow myself to trust that feeling. Is that difficult to understand?"

"Trust it, Spengs," an emotional Peter said. "Trust it."

Egon surprised himself by bending towards Peter and wrapping him in a strong embrace.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there with you, Peter," Egon admitted. "I know I can't feel exactly what you felt."

"To be honest with you, Egon, there was only one other person who knows exactly what I felt. Well, he knew what I felt. They say Ryder probably won't remember much, if any, of it. It looks like now I'm alone with that."

"And now you feel like the last man to attend the next reunion of the survivors of this dreadful battle," Egon surmised aloud, "and there's no one left with whom to share the tales of survival against the odds."

"Yeah," Peter said softly. "How did you know?"

"Because I know you," Egon smiled. "Didn't the doctor say that would probably only be temp--"

"Hey, guys, look who I found!" Ray said, bursting into the room.

"Guess what?" Winston said, following close on Ray's heels. "I've got some news that will really cheer you up, Peter!"

"What's that?" Peter said hopefully.

"Nick came to," he said, grinning from ear to ear. "How's that for some great news?"

"That's wonderful," Egon said, resting a supportive hand on Peter's shoulder. "How is he?"

"Well, he knows Cody and Murray, and that he's here in San Francisco. I guess that's about where it stops for now, though. Can't remember a darn thing about the earthquake. Probably just as well for now. He just needs to get a little stronger before he can work on that. Now we can get you up and running, my friend. Then we're all set. I know you were kind of holding back until you got the good word on Nick."

"Isn't this great!" Ray exclaimed.

Egon felt the slump in Peter's shoulders even as he continued to smile at Winston and Ray. He squeezed the shoulder in silent understanding.

*****

"Hey, you're awake," Cody greeted Nick with a smile. "Good morning!"

"Hi," Nick said. "When can I get out of here?"

"Whoa, slow down there, pal," Cody chuckled. "I think you're in for another couple days."

"I guess that's not too bad," Nick grinned at his own impatience. "Sorry. For some reason, I seem to be in a lousy mood. Even more than usual."

"That's okay. Nobody likes being stuck in a hospital. I understand."

"Where's Murray?" Nick wondered.

"He'll be up in a couple minutes," Cody said. "He stopped down in the cafeteria for a couple cups of coffee."

"Oh," Nick said, grimacing at the thought.

"Oops. Do you want us to leave those at the nurse's station or something?"

"No, that's okay. It's not like I'm going to be drinking it, anyway."

"So..." Cody, suddenly unsure of himself, found himself at an unexpected loss for words.

"So what?" Nick asked.

"How are they treating you?" Cody smiled.

"How are they treating me?" Nick echoed. "They're giving me all this 'we' crap that they learn in Medicine 101. 'Are we dizzy this morning, Mr. Ryder?' 'I'm sorry, Mr. Ryder. We really shouldn't try to go to the bathroom on our own, Mr. Ryder.' 'Do we feel up to a little breakfast this morning, Mr. Ryder?"

"I get the general idea," Cody said, cuffing him off. "You tried to walk by yourself?"

"Yeah, well, I'm sorry, but I just feel a little uncomfortable with some woman that I don't even know standing there watching me while I use the head. I just can't do that, man!"

"Nick, I don't think they stand there and watch you, I think they just sort of, well, give you an escort and then wait for you to call. I think that's what she was probably going to do. Besides, if you're not too steady on your feet, maybe you should be using one of those bottle things."

"Uh-huh, sure. I don't need the bottle thing, Cody. I'm man enough to go to the bathroom by myself. I've been doing it for years. I don't want to take any chances with some perverted woman in white, okay?" Nick challenged. "Hey, Murray," he said, greeting the third member of the trio.

"Hi, Nick. Good morning! Want some coffee?"

"He doesn't want any coffee, Boz, trust me," Cody said, suppressing a chuckle.

"Oh, okay," Murray said, handing Cody a cup. "So, do you remember anything, Nick?"

"Why does everybody keep asking me that?" Nick snapped. "I've had it up to here with everybody asking me that!"

"Gee, I'm sorry, Nick. I didn't mean to upset you. I was just concerned, that's all," Murray apologized quietly.

Nick sighed loudly, wiping his fingers across his eyes. "I'm sorry, Murray. You didn't do anything wrong. You really didn't. I just-- I feel so damned zoned out here, and I can't think straight enough to work my way out of it. I had no business taking it out on you. I'm sorry."

"No," Murray said. "That's all right. I understand."

"You do?" Nick said with a sarcastic chuckle. "Then feel free to enlighten me, would ya?"

Murray flashed a shy grin. "I'm sorry that you're having a bad time of it, Nick. I know this sounds terribly cliched, but it'll get better."

"Murray's right, Nick," Cody said seriously. "And in the meantime, we'll do anything we can to help you get through this. Just name it."

"Thanks, guys," Nick said, rubbing at his forehead.

"Headache?" Cody asked.

"Yeah, just kind of dull, achy type, you know?"

"Did they give you anything for it, Nick?" Murray asked.

"They're limiting that until they run a bunch of tests, I think. They explained it to me, but, of course, I can't remember. I hate that!"

"Can we fill in any blanks for you?" Cody offered.

Nick exhaled loudly in frustration. "I don't know. Yeah, go ahead."

"Okay," Cody said, proceeding with caution. "You know where you are, right?"

"Yeah, San Francisco for the spook conference." He scratched his chin, struggling to remember. "Is that still going on?"

"No, it was canceled," Murray informed him patiently.

"Right, okay," Nick said. "We had breakfast with Zed."

"Do you remember what you had?" Cody wondered.

"Uh. . . let's see, omelette. It was a mushroom omelette, hash browns, uh... toast. Coffee."

"That's great!" Murray smiled. "What happened after that?"

"Oh, man," Nick sighed, closing his eyes.

"Are you too tired for this?" a concerned Cody asked.

"No, I'm just trying to remember," Nick assured him. "I was going to go for a drive before Spengler's speech, right? You gave me the keys to the Jimmy, and I left you guys there. I left you guys... Are you all right? Cody!" he exclaimed, noticing Cody's hands for the first time. "What happened to your hands?"

"They're fine," Cody said. "Just cuts and scrapes. They're healing very nicely."

"Cuts and scrapes from what?" Nick asked suspiciously.

"Let's get back to you for a while," Cody said. "What do you remember after leaving the hotel?"

"Nothing," Nick said. "Wait!" he interrupted himself. "I remember waiting for the elevator, because the Jimmy was on a lower level. And Venkman was there! How could I forget that misfortune!"

"Then what?" Murray encouraged.

"Then it gets really vague," Nick said. "I remember darkness...and a lot of dust, but I don't know what it was."

"There was an earthquake," Cody said. "The parking structure collapsed."

"That's what the nurse said this morning," Nick said.

Cody exchanged a quick glance with Murray. "Is that the first you remember hearing about it?"

"Yeah, I think so," Nick said. "Probably not, though, huh?"

"Probably not," Cody agreed. "But don't worry about it. This is normal, okay? You have a concussion."

"Brain damage?" Nick asked, eyes unexpectedly filling with tears.

"Absolutely not," Cody assured him, grasping Nick's shoulder to reinforce the statement. "That's not what I said. No brain damage whatsoever. The memory problem you're experiencing, the headache, the confusion, even the emotions on overload, well, all of that is very normal for a person with a concussion. You're going to be just fine, it'll all come back to you, I promise."

"They probably told me all of this before, too, didn't they?" Nick wondered aloud.

"Probably," Cody said.

"Hell, I bet I've even had this before," he said with a sniffle.

"Most likely."

*****

"I think this is everything," Ray said, filling a plastic bag with Peter's belongings. "I don't think you want to keep the clothes you were wearing at the time, though. They're in pretty bad shape. Especially the pants. They're kind of torn up."

"Yeah, I think it's safe to get rid of those," Peter agreed. "In fact, I'll be happy if I never see them again!"

"That walking cast seems to be working pretty well," Winston said.

"I'm getting used to it," Peter said. "And it's only for a couple weeks."

"Are you ready, Peter?" Egon asked.

"Yeah, I guess so," Peter said, with little enthusiasm. He immediately noted the downcast expressions on the faces of those dearest to him. "Let's go home," he smiled.

"I think you have to ride in a wheelchair out to the door," Ray said. "I can get that for you."

"Nuts to that!" Peter said. "They gave me this stupid cast so I can finally walk. It seems a little silly to stick me and my walking cast in a wheelchair, don't you think? I'm done with wheelchairs."

"Why not!" Egon grinned.

"After you," Winston said, opening the door for him.

Peter looked the room over with a sigh. "Yeah, I guess we're set," he said, hobbling to the door.

Egon walked close by his side, ready to catch Peter in an instant should he lose his balance.

"Egon," Peter said, hesitating as they walked past Nick's door. "I need to stop in and say bye to Ryder."

"Are you sure that's wise?" Egon asked softly. "Remember, Peter, Nick doesn't have any recollection of what transpired in that parking structure. In his mind, you may not be exactly welcome at this point."

"I understand that, Egon. But I do remember, and I need to say goodbye," Peter explained.

"I think you should do it," Winston interjected discreetly. "Listen, Peter, I'm sorry I botched up earlier. It should have dawned on me that it might be a downer for you. That was major dumb on my part. Just dumb, dumb, dumb. I'm really sorry."

"Not to worry, Winston," Peter said. "You did deliver good news. You have nothing to be sorry about."

"Just the same..."

"You wanna do something for me?" Peter asked. "Maybe open the door for me here. I'll be back out in just a couple minutes, okay, fellas?"

"Sure." Winston complied.

"Is Peter okay?" a concerned Ray quietly asked Egon.

"Peter's fine," Egon assured Ray. "And what you said earlier was quite true. Home will be wonderful medicine for him."

*****

"Hey, Admiral, how're you doing?" Peter asked as he cautiously approached his former comrade.

Nick looked at his new visitor in amazement. "I suppose I should thank you for the promotion in rank. But here's news for you, I'm Army, not Navy. We don't do admirals, we do generals. What are you doing here anyway?"

"I just wanted to see you before I left. You know, to make sure you're all right," Peter said, trying to keep it light. It was obvious that Nick didn't remember any of it. "I'm getting released from here today."

"What's the catch? Why would you-- Oh, that's right. You were somewhere in that parking garage, too."

"You remember?" Peter asked hopefully.

"That you were in the elevator driving me nuts, yeah," Nick said, rubbing at the back of his neck. He glanced at Peter's cast. "I see you didn't walk away unscathed."

"I wasn't walking at all at the time," Peter admitted with a sad grin. "I had help."

"Don't tell me, one of your ghost buddies, right?" Nick scoffed. "Let's see, uh, Elvis, right?"

"No, it wasn't a ghost," Peter said. "Well, maybe in a way it was."

"Oh, don't weird out on me, Venkman," Nick frowned, rolling his eyes. "I can't deal with that right now. I've got a headache."

"Probably gave it to yourself," Peter teased. "Where are your pals?"

"They should be here any minute," Nick responded. "Why? Do I need their protection? I got news for you, Venkman. I can handle all of your crap even in this predicament. What's the matter with you, anyway?" he asked, it suddenly dawning on him that Peter was being uncharacteristically quiet. "Spook got your tongue?"

"Maybe," Peter chuckled softly. "Listen--"

"Hi, guys," Cody interrupted, propping the door open as he and Murray entered the room. "Is there a problem?"

"No, not at all, I was just leaving," Peter said.

"None too soon, either," Nick said under his breath.

"Nick," Cody cautioned.

"No, it's all right," Peter assured him.

"You going home?" Murray asked him.

"Yep," Peter said. "Me and this plaster," he said, tapping his leg.

"That's good news," Cody said. "Things will-- Well, things will fall back into place for all of us soon."

"Hello! Excuse me!" Nick grumbled. "I'm still here! So if you want to talk about me would you mind stepping outside to do it?"

"No, that wasn't 'nurse talk,' Nick," Cody said patiently. "When I said 'all of us,' I meant it."

"You've really got your work cut out for you," Peter muttered to Cody.

"Think how he must feel," Cody mumbled, his back temporarily to Nick.

Peter smiled, looking at Nick's confused blue eyes, and suddenly recalling how sad they looked as he crossed himself following the death of a young man in a collapsed parking structure, how vulnerable they looked when he thought of his childhood, and how filled with fire they were as the two of them stubbornly worked toward rescue.

Peter and cast hobbled to the doorway, but he paused as he reached it. "Hey, Captain," he said, turning back to face Nick.

"Yeah?" Nick asked suspiciously.

"You've got some set of balls on you, you know that?"

Cody flinched, waiting for the fireworks to start, but much to his surprise, they weren't forthcoming.

For some reason Nick couldn't fathom, instead of ticking him off, Peter's remark actually brought forth a reflective grin, and he actually found himself meeting Peter's gaze instead of avoiding it.

"Take care of yourself," Peter added as he walked out of Nick's room.

Peter found his friends standing with mouths agape directly outside of the opened door.

"What did you just say, Peter?" Ray wondered.

"You heard him, m'man," Winston chuckled.

"Let's go home, Peter," Egon said, resting a supportive arm across Peter's shoulders.

"Yeah," he said. "Let's go home."

One week later

Nick rested comfortably nestled in the corner of the benchseat on board the Riptide. He would have preferred to be stretched out on a beach chair on the deck, but for some reason the heat and sunlight bothered him these days. His eyes closed in deep contemplation, he almost didn't notice Cody walking through with a sandwich in one hand and a soda in the other. He jumped as he heard the pop top snap as Cody opened the can.

"I'm sorry, Nick," Cody apologized. "I didn't mean to wake you. Go back to sleep."

"I wasn't sleeping," Nick confessed. "Just resting."

"Oh, well, that's good. There's still some roast beef left in the fridge. Want me to make you a sandwich?"

"No, thanks," Nick said.

"Did you keep breakfast down this morning?"

"Yes," Nick sighed.

"Great, that's three meals in a row!" Cody grinned.

"Cody?"

"Yeah?"

"You don't have a suede jacket, do you?"

"Suede?" Cody wondered. "No. Why?"

"I keep seeing this ugly suede jacket in my mind," Nick said softly.

"That's good," Cody said, "although thank you very much for saying it's ugly and assuming it must be mine."

"Were we running out of air?" he questioned.

"You're remembering more," Cody noted.

"Were we?"

"Yeah, from what I've been told, the air was a little thin down there. You must have remembered you weren't by yourself."

"What do you mean?"

"You said 'we.' Were 'we' running out of air."

Nick paused, recalling his words. "So I did." He instantly pressed his fingertips against the now smaller bandage on his forehead. "Oh, man!" he groaned.

"Sharp one again?" a concerned Cody asked.

"Yeah," Nick gasped.

"Just hang on, my friend. It'll pass in a few seconds," Cody said, sitting beside him.

"Damn it!" Nick uttered. But just as Cody predicted, in just a matter of seconds the intense pain dissipated, then left entirely. "I hate that!"

"I'm sure you must," Cody sympathized. "But they seem to be more infrequent."

"They are, thank God!" Nick said.

"Here, why don't you take a sip?" Cody offered, holding out the soda can.

"Thanks," Nick said, and he began to reach for it. Just as his hand began to touch it, the image of the can was replaced by an equally clear image of a dusty cup half-filled with lukewarm, dirty soda. He closed his eyes, trying to focus on the image. The dusty cup was being handed to him in a gesture similar to the one Cody just demonstrated. He opened his eyes and squeezed them shut again. He could make out the arm holding out the cup. It was covered in a rust-colored suede.

"What's the matter?" Cody asked. "Another pain?"

"No," Nick said, quickly waving his hand. "Not at all."

"What are you seeing?"

"A rust-colored suede jacket," Nick said in a daze.

''Still?''

"Oh, no way!" Nick gasped. "Venkman?"

"Yeah," Cody said. "Here, I think you better take the drink."

He waited for a moment, realizing that Nick was starting to process more quickly and wanting him to be able to do so naturally. "You two sort of helped each other out down there. Out of necessity, I guess you could say. I don't know much detail, and frankly, I think it's important for you to fill in the blanks on your own as much as you can. Are you okay with that?"

"I couldn't see worth shit," Nick said, more to himself than to anyone else.

"I've been told that was the case," Cody said. "I'm sure it must be very frightening. I mean, in a way, it's like you get to experience it a second time. Maybe I should call the doctor."

"No, I'm fine," Nick said. Again he felt the sensation of being in a different place, a different time, and he could hear the echo of his own voice saying "I'm fine," but in this different place, he wasn't saying it to Cody.

"Did you just see another one of those pictures?" Cody asked, not sure if he should be thrilled or scared.

"Yeah," Nick said.

"Are you sure you don't want to go lie down for a while? I don't want you to go on overload again on me here."

"No. . . Well, okay, yeah, maybe for a little while," Nick surrendered. The images were frightening to him as well. They had started very infrequently a couple days earlier, but now they were picking up in an intensity he wasn't sure he was prepared for. Because his mind was preoccupied, he forgot to be cautious as he stood and turned.

"Whoa, careful there, buddy. No somersaults, please," Cody said, reaching out a steadying hand.

"Thanks, Cody," Nick said sincerely, accepting the helping hand. He stopped, placing his free hand against his eyes. "You know what? Can we just stay here for a few minutes?"

"Yeah, sure," Cody said, noticing his friend's face paling as his grip on Cody's arm tightened. He guided him back to his previous resting spot. "What's going on?"

Nick closed his eyes thoughtfully and leaned back into the seat. "General," he said softly.

"Huh? Which one?" a confused Cody asked. "What's going on?" he repeated.

"I don't know," Nick said. "Wait... It's me. No, I don't mean it's me, I mean-I was Scarlett."

"What?"

"No. I don't mean-- I mean-- I remember the jacket and a soda... and a sweater that was way too large...and...velcro...and a truck. lt was a Ford! And Patrick Swayze. . ."

"Patrick Swayze?"

"No. Well, yes. And...and..."

"And what, Nick?" Cody asked.

"And an adversary who became a friend," Nick said, a small smile playing at his lips. "Cody, I've got to make a call."

"Sure, of course," Cody said, smiling himself. "Want me to dial for you?"

"Yeah, that would be great. Cody, have I told you how glad I am to be home?"

"Yes, a few times," Cody smiled. "I'm glad you're home, too, o' friend of friends."

One day later - New York City

It was comfortingly dark and quiet on the second floor of the firehouse. Peter hadn't bothered to turn on any lights. He sought the solitude. No thinking necessary. He sat at the dining table next to the kitchen, hunched over a steaming cup of hot cocoa, with his fingers wrapped around the cup, and inhaled the rich scent of chocolate.

"Did you make enough for two, by chance?" a bass voice said quietly from the darkness.

"Egon!" Peter said with a jump. "You scared me to death!"

"I apologize. Would you like some company?"

"Sure, why not," Peter said. "Oh, I think there is enough for another cup. After all, it is your recipe, big guy."

"I'll go get it," Egon said.

He returned momentarily with a warm fragrant cup of his own.

"Are you all right?" Egon asked softly.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Peter said. "I just couldn't sleep."

"Hmm, I see," Egon said.

"I bet you're scratching your chin about now, aren't you?" Peter said, grinning in spite of himself.

"Well, yes, I was, as a matter of fact. By the way," Egon said, "is there a reason why we're sitting in the dark?"

"Peaceful."

"Oh. All right."

"You're doing it again, aren't you?" Peter said.

"Peter, what is this all about?" an exasperated Egon asked again.

"I just had a dream, that's all," Peter said truthfully. "I just want to shake it before I go back to sleep. No big deal."

"What was it about?"

Peter hesitated, not sure if he wanted to get into it or not. But it was Egon, so he was safe.

"I was back in the hole with Ryder. It was weird, though. In the dream, he found a way out, and he knew I couldn't walk, and he just left me there."

"I see," Egon said thoughtfully. "Of course, in reality, he would never have done that."

"I know that," Peter said sarcastically. "Hey, it's not like I can control my dreams...unless I'm wearing that 'good dream' gizmo of yours."

"It's an Alpha Wave Generator, Peter," Egon replied tolerantly. "And if you would like, I can configure it for you for the rest of the night. It would program restful sleep for you."

"No, thanks, Egon. Let me handle it," he hesitated, blowing on the hot cocoa in an attempt to cool it down just a smidge. "I may not control my dreams, but I can deal with them."

"Nor would he have ever left his memories behind intentionally...the memories that you two share," an unflappable Egon continued.

"I know, I know. He didn't ask to have a concussion," Peter said, pausing for another sip. "I don't blame him for any of that. Of course I don't. And frankly, Egon, the one major and most important fact is that both of us have survived! Whether Nick ever remembers every little detail or if he spends the rest of his life thinking of me as dog dung is really inconsequential in the long run, don't you think?"

"I couldn't agree more," Egon said. "I'm glad to hear you say that, Peter, although your wording was a little drastic. I've watched you getting physically stronger, and getting on with your life, but I've been concerned."

"You hit the nail on the head, my friend. I do have to get on with my life, and I couldn't have asked for a better one," he said, grasping Egon's shoulder. "It just sort of nags at me now and then."

"There's nothing wrong with that," Egon said. "As long as those feelings are allocated in recommendable proportions."

"Drink your cocoa, Egon," Peter grinned.

They were interrupted by the jingling of the telephone. "I hope that's not about a ghost," Peter said quickly. "It's the middle of the night. Ray and Winston are still asleep!"

"I'll get it," Egon said.

"No, I'm closer," Peter said, hobbling as quickly as his cast would allow to the phone.

"Hello, you have reached--"

"Venkman, is that you?" the voice on the other end asked.

"Ryder?" a stunned Peter responded.

"Yeah," Nick said. "Listen, I'm sorry about the time. I forgot about the difference."

"That's all right. Don't worry about it," Peter said. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing."

"You called me in the middle of the night to tell me nothing's wrong?" Peter asked.

"Oh, for crying out loud, Sigmund, would you just let me talk?" an exasperated Nick said.

"Okay, what's-- What did you just--?" Peter asked, astonished.

"I'm calling about Deke. Did you go to see his widow yet?"

Peter could hear the earnestness in Nick's voice. He had to take a deep breath himself before he could respond. "No, not yet. I wanted to give her a little time first. I thought I'd fly back out and see her after things have settled down a bit."

"Well, just let me know when. I thought maybe I'd go with you, just in case you want company, I mean. I've had to make that kind of trip before. It's not easy."

"Yeah, Skipper," Peter said, hoping Nick couldn't hear his voice catching. "I think maybe that's a good idea."

"Hey, Siggy?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks. For everything." Nick Ryder felt peace at last, as each piece of the puzzle fell neatly into place. "Thanks."

Egon didn't need to turn on a light. Peter's smile shown brightly enough to lighten the entire room. And that light traveled from busy New York City and was felt back in quiet Pier 56, King Harbor, California.


End file.
